Strategies for a balanced mindset

Being a parent continually tests your limits. That’s why you need to develop and implement strategies to keep your mindset balanced. Our emotions are always present. They shape our perceptions, influence our behaviours and ultimately determine our mental wellbeing. Achieving a balanced mindset is crucial for our mental health and being the best parent you can be.
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Here are 11 strategies you can use for better managing your emotions and achieving a balanced mindset:
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Do mental check-ins
‍Do regular mental check-ins to become aware of your emotions and thoughts. Recognise and name them. You may want to write them down on paper or in a journal. Documenting your emotions helps you to recognise patterns and changes. It is the starting point to actively deal with them.
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Reframe unhealthy thoughts
Once you have done your mental check-in look at your negative thoughts and feelings. See where they come from and check and reframe them in a positive way. Mindfulness practice and self-affirmations are techniques to rebalance your mindset towards more positive and constructive thoughts.
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Practice mindfulness
Take at least ten minutes every day to practice mindfulness meditation. This will involve deep and slow breathing and grounding yourself in the moment without dwelling on the past and worrying about the future. It is a technique that allows you to notice and observe your feelings and thoughts without judgement or prejudice. By just observing and letting them be you will find it easier to let go of negative emotions. A mindfulness mediation in the morning will positively set you for the day.
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Positive affirmations
‍Negative narratives will lead to negative perceptions about yourself and low self-esteem. Positive affirmations can help you to replace limiting or negative thoughts with positive language and emotions. You can use them to rewire your mindset and self-perception, boosting your self-esteem and fostering self-love. Talk to yourself with kindness and understanding as you would to your best friend. Take a couple of minutes in the morning and tell yourself empowering affirmations like you are a good parent and do the best for your children and family.
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Practice self-care
‍Make sure that self-care is scheduled in your diary at least once a week. Reserve time to do something for yourself that you find enjoyable, relaxing or rewarding. This helps you to rebalance your mind. Self-care is not a luxury or indulgence. It is a necessity to enable you to be the best parent you can be.
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Take care of your sleep
‍Parents of young children are often sleep deprived. Sleep is crucial for our mental and physical wellbeing. While you cannot stop your children from waking you up at night you can take some actions to improve your sleep quality. Make your bedding and bed room sleep friendly and comfortable. Avoid mental and physical stimulants at least an hour before going to sleep. Keep regular bedtimes. Use sleep mediations to fall asleep and to get back to sleep when you have woken up during the night. Catch up on sleep when you have the opportunity.
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Walk in nature
‍Spending time in nature and green spaces calms and relaxes our mind. Go out into nature once a day for short walk or grounding exercise. At the weekend take your children and family to natural environments to play outdoors. Being in nature helps balancing your mind.
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Do a digital detox
‍It is healthy to keep a limit on your screen time. A quick social media stroll can easily extend into hours. Take regular breaks from your screens and stop looking at them at least an hour before bedtime. It doesn’t matter whether it’s work or pleasure your eyes, brain and mind need rests from your digital devices. Also, try where possible to connect with others in person. You may find this much deeper and more effective than communicating online.
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Take care of your body
‍Our minds and bodies are closely connected. We can also help our mind by looking after our bodies. Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water and keep your body moving whenever possible. Physical movement can help your mental health. Take the steps instead of the lift and take a walk during lunch break. Regular exercise is also beneficial. Just keep in mind that we are built for movement and that moving our body helps in stabilising our minds.
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Connect with others
‍Many new parents feel isolated and lonely. While you will spend a lot of time at home with your child there are many ways to stay socially connected with friends and family as well as other parents. There are many parental social groups where you can share and exchange your parenting experience. Conversations with others can be therapeutic. They also give you different perspectives. Check your social connections. Build and improve the ones that are nourishing and supportive. Reduce or stop the ones that are draining and negative.
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Limit negativity
‍Manage and reduce negative inputs from the outside. Limit your consumption of negative media. Reduce or stop toxic or unhelpful relationships and connections. While you will need to stay informed about what is going on around you, you also want to set boundaries and limits on the negative inputs to positively re-balance your mindset.  
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All these actions can help you to achieve a more balanced mindset that is good for your mental health and the quality of your parenting.

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