When raising a loved one’s child, it’s easy to lose yourself in this child’s needs and forget to care well for yourself. You get focused on helping your grandchild succeed in school. You move things around your calendar to ensure they continue with sports or therapy. Adjusting your calendar to care well for this child means giving up your weekly book club or skipping your exercise class with friends. Sometimes, life happens, and rescheduling these activities can be easy. The problem arises when you continue to adjust around the child’s needs and develop the habit of putting your needs to the side.
Healthy Habits of Self-Care Build Resilience
Thinking of self-care as pampering yourself or indulging in luxuries is not the wrong way to consider self-care. However, it can be an incomplete way to think of self-care, especially when you give so much of yourself to raise this child and help them (and their family) find a path to healing.
Self-care can also be a vital tool for caring for your needs while building the resilience to endure challenging seasons. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from tough times and keep pressing forward to thrive. Taking in a family member and providing them a safe landing space is challenging. You are giving so much time and effort toward their success, and rightly so. Sometimes, however, it’s hard to come back from your challenging experiences when raising a loved one’s child, right?
These three healthy habits can strengthen you physically and simultaneously build the stamina and resilience to give this child a safe space to heal and thrive.
1. Healthy Food Choices
Well-rounded, nutritious eating is a building block of health. Try to include a balance of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins to give your body the fuel it needs to make it through the day. Limiting your sugar intake will help you avoid highs and lows that sap your energy and create uneven fuel for your brain.
A balanced diet – including plenty of high-fiber food choices – keeps you fuller longer and releases energy to the brain more consistently. When consistent energy flows to your brain, you can make better choices, be more regulated, and be present for this child.
2. Consistent Activity
Regular exercise is a healthy medicine for the human body! When you consistently move your body, you release hormones that help reduce stress, increase focus, and calm anxiety and depression. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous or lengthy to benefit your mind and body. Walking 15-20 minutes daily or something similar can reduce the harmful stress hormones. The point is to find an activity you enjoy and can maintain consistently. You will support your body and brain’s ability to bounce back from tough days or challenging moments when you give your body the needed activity.
Of course, exercise also reduces your risk for heart disease, cancer, and other diseases that might impact your ability to care for this child long-term.
3. Refreshing, Refueling Sleep
Your sleep may be negatively impacted by stress, anxiety, and other unhealthy choices across the day. Achieving deep, refueling sleep can be elusive for many people, but you can try a few things to support a good night’s sleep.
- Sleep in a cool, dark room.
- Designate the room for sleep only, as much as possible.
- Limit screen use for an hour before turning the lights out.
- Go to bed at the same time every night.
- Rise at the same time every morning.
- Avoid caffeine or sugary drinks and foods for 6-8 hours before bedtime.
- Practice deep breathing or other relaxation techniques when you lie down.
If you struggle to fall or stay asleep, keep a journal of the day’s events and activities leading up to your bedtime routine. Practice letting go of those events mentally and emotionally through meditation, prayer, or a release letter.
When you’ve tried all these tips and sleep is still elusive, consider speaking with a medical professional for their insight or suggestions. Most adults need 6-9 hours of sleep to maintain health – when you are living a stressful or challenging lifestyle, you might need more. Be your best advocate to prioritize healthy sleep habits for yourself and your household – everyone will benefit!
These Habits Will Be Good For You All!
When you consistently build and reinforce these three healthy habits, you allow your mind and body to be resilient. You will have the strength and endurance to get through the hard times, and the additional layers that raising a loved one’s child brings to your days.
Your resilience can also be an excellent example for the children you care for – to show them they can care well for themselves and thrive even when life is challenging.