Everybody is feeling some sense of struggle in the current world we live in. That inability to treat yourself is difficult because if you can’t do something to nourish yourself, this contributes to feelings of helplessness and worthlessness, especially when there’s mouths to feed. If you, as a parent, feel worthless, it’s important to remember that it’s not just you. Many other parents battle that feeling of worthlessness, not just because of external stresses but because of the job of parenting itself. It’s easy to feel that you’re not doing enough, but this is why it’s important to consider some of the following to combat these feelings.
Actually Practice Self-Care
Self-care is one of those things that is bandied around constantly, but the reason self-care has been shone under the spotlight recently is because we’re all feeling that sense of being overwhelmed because we’re not always built for what truly goes on these days. It seems that people are in a rush, angrier, and feel stretched beyond their capabilities than ever. This is something that has constantly been spoken of over the last hundred years, but of course, now we’ve got constant exposure to stimulating resources, so there’s got to be a time when we have to say that we need to look after ourselves better.
This is why treating yourself shouldn’t be something you feel guilty about. It’s something that helps you nourish yourself. It could be something simple. Finding clothes from a supplier like the Hometown Heritage Boutique or your local boutique can help you feel that sense of reinvigoration. Looking at yourself in the mirror with a new item of clothing can be a very simple thing that makes you feel better in yourself. Investing in some new beauty products is a little thing that can reinforce that positive feeling in yourself. Self-care, of course, covers things like meditation or mindfulness and taking breaks, but those little treats are also key to feeling some sense of self-worth, especially when we are constantly buying for our kids.
Taking a Break From Parenting
When you step away from your role as a parent, even for a few hours, you go through a few phases, where you are wondering if your child is okay, and then once everything is fine you need that time to decompress, but once you’ve had the time to switch into this new mode it’s time to get back into parenting mode yet again!
Asking a family member to watch your child for a few hours to allow you some time for yourself is essential, but if you find yourself going through these phases you need to find quick ways to relax. We can feel tempted to do housework when the kids are with the grandparents or a close friend, but first and foremost, focus on yourself. Do the things that you really want to do first!
Try to Focus on the Positive
The toughest thing about feelings of worthlessness is that they can color our attitudes toward parenting. When we have a negative frame of mind, we have to remember that this is going to have a subconscious impact on our child. That’s not to say you can instantly stop yourself from feeling like this. Feelings of worthlessness can be deep-rooted because of how you were raised.
It is a tough thing to endure, but you have to admit that sometimes you can’t go on anymore. You might have parents that are very much of the old-school mentality and believe that mental health is a non-existent concern, but there are many people in life that find those encounters with their parents to be incredibly stressful and need a few days, or even weeks, to decompress. Feeling worthless when you’re a parent comes from a number of different things, so if you start to recognize that a feeling is something that can be fleeting and you have the power to turn the tide, in the opposite direction, albeit very slowly, can do so much to help you in the long run. It’s not about making massive changes right away, but about ensuring that you are doing things slowly but surely.
Feeling like we don’t matter is something we’ve all battled with. But everybody has those good and bad days. It might certainly feel like you are in the hole right now because you’re exhausted or there’s a lot going on, but you need to remember that everyone makes mistakes. The most important thing about making mistakes is that we actually learn from them. We can feel worthless because we’ve done things wrong, but we can all benefit from remembering that nobody is perfect and we’re doing the best we can.