{"id":3751,"date":"2023-05-15T12:35:05","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T05:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/with-depression-as-a-single-mom-i-do-these-6-self-care-steps\/"},"modified":"2023-05-15T12:35:05","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T05:35:05","slug":"with-depression-as-a-single-mom-i-do-these-6-self-care-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=3751","title":{"rendered":"With Depression as a Single Mom, I Do These 6 Self-Care Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">I<\/span>&#8216;ve been combatting depression and anxiety for most of my life. But once I became a mom, I felt the strain of those issues more intensely. At first, I was overwhelmed, sleepless, and constantly fatigued by the toll my mental health was taking on me, coupled with the constant demands of new motherhood. It took me years to figure out what I really needed during times of struggle\u2014which, often, was to ask for help.<\/p>\n<p>Fast-forward 12 years, and I\u2019m now a single mom of two. I\u2019ve had to adjust how I care for myself once again. While I\u2019m only a full-time parent 50 percent of the time, that time is non-negotiable. There\u2019s no one to step in and help me out, let me run to the gym, or even pick up some grocery items for me in a pinch.<\/p>\n<p>Truthfully, I enjoy being a single mother. I am one by choice. But I doubt I\u2019d have such warm feelings about this path if I didn\u2019t tune into my mental health regularly. I prioritize my mental health over just about everything, and that means, I\u2019m well taken care of, and that my kids are, too. I know it sets a positive example of self-care and understanding my emotional needs\u2014one that I hope I&#8217;m passing along.<\/p>\n<h2>Here are six things I do to support my mental health as a single mom every single day:<\/h2>\n<h3>1. I make sure to exercise<\/h3>\n<p>Most of us are aware that exercise is good for your body. But more than the physical benefits, exercise is crucial for me to <a href=\"https:\/\/greatergood.berkeley.edu\/article\/item\/five_surprising_ways_exercise_changes_your_brain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/greatergood.berkeley.edu\/article\/item\/five_surprising_ways_exercise_changes_your_brain\">feel my best emotionally<\/a>. While I might miss a day or two a month (typically due to PMS), I get my sweat on daily to promote feel-good chemicals like serotonin. It also gives me more energy, and helps me sleep better.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/depression-single-mom\/\" current-title=\"I\u2019m a Single Mom With Anxiety and Depression, so I Do These 6 Things for My Mental Health Every Single Day\" current-image=\"GettyImages-depression-single-mom-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2022-11-14\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/depression-single-mom\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/depression-single-mom\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/depression-single-mom\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>2. I get outside<\/h3>\n<p>Leaving my house, whether it\u2019s for a walk with the dog or just a dose of vitamin D in the backyard, is a must. Not only is the fresh air, breeze on my face, and break from screens an instant reset, but it\u2019s also a good way to prioritize slowing down. It reminds me that I can step away from anything that is stressing me out, and simply take a break. Sometimes, it\u2019s a break from work, the dogs, or the visual of the dishes in the sink. Other times, it\u2019s a break from my kids, and that\u2019s totally okay.<\/p>\n<p>As a single mom, there is no shortage of over-stimulation in my world. Being out of my house simply helps to shake up the monotony of my day and not allow it to consume me.<\/p>\n<h3>3. I go to bed early<\/h3>\n<p>In a past life, I used to stay up late and get up whenever I wanted. Even in the early years of parenting, I would stay up until midnight or later to get my \u201cme time.\u201d Now, I prioritize \u201cme time\u201d throughout the day, so I don\u2019t need late night binge-watching, reading, or just being alone with my thoughts, in order to get it.<\/p>\n<p>My kids think I\u2019m a little ridiculous (especially my teenager, who puts herself to bed), but I\u2019m typically in bed by 9 o\u2019clock every night. I\u2019ve realized how deeply important sleep is, and that I need at least seven hours of it to feel good.<\/p>\n<h3>4. I limit my alcohol intake<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong, I love a good margarita, beer, or glass of wine. But while I used to be a nightly drinker, now I limit my alcohol intake to a couple of drinks a week. For starters, alcohol <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/alcohol-affects-sleep-quality\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/alcohol-affects-sleep-quality\/\">impacts my ability to sleep through the night<\/a>, so I feel less rested the following day, even after just two drinks.<\/p>\n<p>But I also know that drinking nightly makes my body produce more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/high-cortisol-levels\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/high-cortisol-levels\/\">cortisol<\/a> (aka the stress hormone). So, that feeling of really needing a drink <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hazeldenbettyford.org\/articles\/what-is-craving\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.hazeldenbettyford.org\/articles\/what-is-craving\">around 5 p.m. every night<\/a> is more than just wanting to relax because you had a stressful day\u2014those nightly cravings are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0278584615300312\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0278584615300312\">alcohol dependence<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>These days, I enjoy an occasional drink, but I know that alcohol dependence doesn\u2019t help my mental health\u2014it makes the issues I already struggle with feel that much more consuming.<\/p>\n<h3>5. I prescribe myself socialization<\/h3>\n<p>There are often periods of time when I rarely see friends. It happens simply because I\u2019m a mom who is devoted to my kids for half of the week, my job for the working hours of the day, and myself for the rest.<\/p>\n<p>But I always notice that when it\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve seen friends, or even talked on the phone, I start to feel worse. I become a little more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/difference-between-being-alone-being-lonely\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/difference-between-being-alone-being-lonely\/\">lonely<\/a> and distant, and it almost becomes harder to get out of my rut and make plans. That\u2019s why I make sure to see friends with some regularity. It may not happen every single week, but even when I\u2019m not feeling up to it, I\u2019ll set plans to have dinner, a drink, or just a quick cup of coffee.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s one of the easiest things to let slip right on by, I\u2019ve come to learn that just a little bit of socialization works wonders for my mood. After connecting with friends, I genuinely feel a little lighter. And it\u2019s not just in the short-term. Renewing my bond with a friend can keep me feeling good for a few days, and ensure I\u2019m more willing to reconnect again soon.<\/p>\n<h3>6. I talk openly about my mental health with my kids<\/h3>\n<p>A lot of parents get uncomfortable when talking to their kids about mental health. That\u2019s totally understandable, but for me, it\u2019s a must.<\/p>\n<p>First, I don\u2019t want them to feel like it\u2019s their fault if I\u2019m having an off day. Especially as a single mom who doesn\u2019t have a backup, I might need to take a break and step away from my kids if I\u2019m feeling overwhelmed, or down, and I need them to know that it\u2019s not because of anything they did. I can say \u201cI\u2019m having some anxiety\u201d and my kids know what that means.<\/p>\n<p>But I also want my kids to know that if they are struggling with their own mental health, that they can be open with me about it. My hope is that they\u2019ll have the language, and also the bravery to share what&#8217;s going on inside because that example has been set for them for their entire lives.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8216;ve been combatting depression and anxiety for most of my life. But once I became a mom, I felt the strain of those issues more intensely. At first, I was overwhelmed, sleepless, and constantly fatigued by the toll my mental health was taking on me, coupled with the constant demands of new motherhood. It took &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}