Moms caring for children with special needs and disabilities are at increased risk for physical health and mental health symptoms developing, especially over time (Brehaut, et al., 2011). Your health and your mental health are very interconnected. That’s why I’m supporting you as you plan the next level of your self-care for your physical, mental, and emotional health.
In my previous post, I introduced the five areas of self-care and how critical it is we intentionally address these areas of our lives, especially as special needs moms. If you missed this post of me sharing how I let my self-care go, the terrible consequences, and then how I began to take care of myself in powerful ways, make sure to check it out. And don’t forget to Download your full Self-Care Plan (it’s Free).
Today’s post will help get you started on making 1 small goal and step to investing in your physical health, mental health, and emotional health.
Taking Care of Your Physical Health
On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being, “I do the bare minimum,” and 10 being, “I place a priority on caring for my health,” how would you rate this area of your self-care? If you said “7 or higher” that’s fantastic! You can still make new goals for more advanced ways you can intentionally take care of your body. If you picked a lower number, that’s okay too. You can start to place more intentional care on your health today. I know that when I began, I simply took baby steps. You are taking a huge step today by simply reading this post and downloading the self-care plan! All you can do is the best you can do.
When my daughter was three-years-old and I was in that deep, dark pit, I begin to make one small change at a time. I started to go for walks when someone could stay with her. I began to make healthier food choices. Eventually I came up with the wild idea to train for a sprint triathlon. That was one of the best decisions and goals I ever made! We need goals. We need something in the future that we’re working toward. Training for the race also motivated me to focus on my nutrition, and my mental health drastically improved. Now, I’m not saying sign up for a triathlon. I had to secure many more hours of respite care, and my husband supported me tremendously to have time to train. But maybe begin to go for walks. Do strength training in your house while your child sleeps.
In order to be the best mom, caregiver, and advocate for your child with additional needs, you must first take care of yourself. You’ll have more energy and motivation for the day! Here are some ideas for how to make an intentional decision to invest in you today:
- Make new healthy food choices
- Drink more water
- Cut down on sugar intake
- Go for a walk
- Try Yoga or Pilates
- Exercise or do a physical activity
- Make a doctor’s appointment to address health concerns
- Take medications as prescribed
- Find respite care to get more sleep
- Establish a regular sleep schedule (I realize that this may not possible without respite care)
- What other ideas do you have that you’d like to try?
We know that how we care for our physical health directly impacts our mental health. Beginning to do one of these activities can contribute to improving your mood and perspective on the day. For example, overwhelming research shows that just going for a walk can significantly improve Serotonin production which improves depression (Robertson, Roma et al., 2012)!
Taking Care of Your Mental and Emotional Health
On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being, “I do the bare minimum,” and 10 being, “I place a priority on caring for my mental and emotional health,” how would you rate this area of your self-care? Regardless of what number on the scale you answered, you can make new goals today to place more intentional care on these areas.
Studies have shown that parents of children with special needs experience stress, anxiety, and depression at significantly-higher levels compared to the national average (Caruso, 2017). To read about the correlation of special needs moms and depression, READ HERE. I learned that as a special needs mom, I was definitely not alone! I began to take baby steps toward restoring my mental and emotional health. I took the courageous step to begin to see a counselor. I went to a psychiatrist and began to take antidepressant and anxiety medications. I began to take better care of those aspects of my physical health. Little by little, my mental health began to improve. Today, I am depression-free! Due to the stress in my life and the trauma from all that’s happened with my daughter, I still attend therapy and take medications. But that’s okay. And as a mental health professional and therapist myself, I’m not afraid or ashamed to share this with you. I had to do what I needed to in order to be able to love myself and take care of my family.
Like I said above, in order to be the best mom, caregiver, and advocate for your child with additional needs, you must first take care of yourself. You’ll be able to think clearer when you talk to that doctor or principle, and you’ll begin to experience more joy in your life. Here are some ideas for how to make an intentional decision to invest in you today:
- Learn 1 new healthy coping skill
- Practice a positive self-talk phrase
- Find respite care to get a break
- Go for a walk
- Do an activity or hobby you enjoy
- Plan to do something fun or special
- Make future personal goals
- See a mental health professional
- Do deep breathing & mindfulness
- Take medications as prescribed
- Celebrate little achievements
- What other ideas do you have that you’d like to try?
Only you can take care of yourself. No one else can do it for you.
What’s one step you will take to invest in yourself in more meaningful ways?
Please share in the comments to help other moms.
Blessings,
Kristin
Kristin Faith Evans, MA, MS, LMSW
Kristin is an author, a speaker, a mental health therapist, and a special needs mom. Her greatest passion is walking with others on their journey to deeper faith and emotional healing. As a Licensed Masters Social Worker and with her Masters in Christian Education, she has served in youth, camping, and retreat ministries and is experienced in Christian counseling, couples and family therapy, substance abuse treatment, and crisis counseling. Kristin lives with her husband, Todd, and their two children in the Nashville, TN area. When she is not enjoying life with her family, writing or working with clients, you can find Kristin training for triathlons, reading, or simply being out in nature. Visit her author website at www.KristinFaithEvans.com
References:
Brehaut, J. C., Garner, R. E., Miller, A. R., Lach, L. M., Klassen, A. F., Rosenbaum, P. L., & Kohen, D. E. (2011). Changes over time in the health of caregivers of children with health problems: Growth-curve findings from a 10-year canadian population-based study. American Journal of Public Health, 2308-2316.
Caruso, Jill M. “Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Experienced by Parents of Children with Special Needs and Self-Care Techniques.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2017. Print.
Jackson, S. Z. (2018, November 15). Depression in Parents of Children With Developmental Disabilities: What Do We Know and What Can We Do? Retrieved from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia : https://policylab.chop.edu/blog/depression-parents-children-developmental-disabilities-what-do-we-know-and-what-can-we-do
Robertson, Roma et al. “Walking for Depression or Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Mental health and physical activity 5.1 (2012): 66–75. Web.
Special Needs Moms Blog
Thank you for the reminder to take care of my mental and physical health. It is so easy to get lax and let our self care slip. This post has some wonderful suggestions.
Thank you for reading! I hope that it was helpful!
Very good post about the special needs moms and self care. Highly informative for mothers and nicely written. Keep up the good work.
Cedric, thank you for reading and for your supportive comments!