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READ MEParent Wellbeing
An important part of being a parent is looking after yourself too.
Wellbeing is more than just physical health - it involves your emotional, social and mental health too!
It’s the overall satisfaction you feel about yourself and your life – which can go up and down depending on what’s happening in your life. Good wellbeing can include:
- Feeling able to cope with daily stresses
- Having a sense of purpose and generally enjoying life
- Feeling able to manage negative emotions
- Feeling connected to your community
- Having supportive relationships
- Being able to do and enjoy things that are important to you
Take time to reflect on your own wellbeing
Thinking about these questions might help you figure out what area you need to focus on, or give you some ideas on how to improve your wellbeing. Ask yourself:
- Do I have someone I can talk to about my feelings, thoughts and experiences?
- Do I do things that I enjoy or make me feel good?
- Do I spend time with people outside of my immediate family?
- Do I get regular physical activity?
- Do I feel hopeful about tomorrow?
- Do I make time for distractions and fun?
- Do I set aside regular time for relaxation and activities that I enjoy?
- Do I eat regular and healthy meals?
- Do I get enough sleep?
- Do I get breaks from my daily responsibilities?
- Do I feel happy and content with my life most of the time?
- Do I think clearly and feel that I can work through any problems?
Take small steps to improve your wellbeing
Looking after yourself doesn’t need to take up a lot of time or involve big changes. You can:
Reach out for support
Plan time to yourself
Don’t be hard on yourself
Remember that tough phases pass
Build supportive relationships
Do things that you enjoy or find relaxing
Avoid expecting too much of yourself
Take any opportunity to get some rest
Don’t compare yourself to other parents
Socialise – join a parenting support group
Say ‘yes’ when someone offers you support
Ask for help – you don’t have to do it alone
Go for a short walk everyday with your child
Reward yourself and plan things to look forward to
Talk about how you feel with family and friends
Eat regular, healthy meals and exercise regularly
Enjoy time with your child - notice what’s special about them
Value yourself and the job you are doing as a parent
"While you might be a super-parent, you’re not super-human! Your physical and emotional health has limits and if you don’t take care of yourself you could develop mental and physical health problems."
- Sky, Parentline Counsellor
Noticing when you’re not coping
There are times when we all struggle and find it hard to cope. But when bad days become bad weeks, it’s important to seek help - especially if you’re no longer ‘feeling yourself’.
Many parents experience the symptoms of postnatal depression, depression or anxiety.
If you identify with any of the following, seek help as soon as you can from your local doctor or mental health professional:
- You find it hard to manage from day to day
- You’ve been feeling sad, hopeless, worried or anxious for a while
- You’ve noticed changes in your eating, sleeping and energy levels
- You find yourself having negative or unwanted thoughts
It’s OK to seek support
You’re not alone. There are a lot of supports and services to help you look after your wellbeing.
- Trusted family or friends
- GP or counsellor
- Parentline in your state or territory
- Beyond Blue - 24hrs - 1300 224 636
- Suicide Call Back Service - 24hrs - 1300 659 467
- PANDA - Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia - 1300 726 306
- Parenting support groups (online or face-to-face)
This content was last reviewed 18/05/2018
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