You want your child to be healthy, to feel safe, and to know they are loved. As their primary caregiver, you need to take care of yourself, too. Sometimes, that means practicing certain relaxation techniques. Other times, that means asking for help. Here’s how you can manage stress and continue to put your best foot forward.

3 Ways to Cope With Caring for Your Child

1. Recognize Signs of Burnout

If you feel like you’re running low on fuel, you might be dealing with burnout. This is a state of exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. Burnout can manifest in subtle ways, such as trouble falling asleep, staying focused, or keeping your spirits up.

Chronic burnout can make you more vulnerable to other conditions like headaches, fatigue, or even heart disease. If you’re dealing with these symptoms, talk to your doctor right away. 

2. Practice Meditation

Meditation reduces stress, helps manage anxiety, and promotes emotional health. It helps you clear your mind, focus on the present, and learn how to get ahead of negative thinking.

Start by clearing your mind every night before you go to bed. Set a timer, starting with 5 minutes and building your way up to 20. During this time, focus your attention on your breath — every inhale and every exhale.

Yoga is a powerful way to practice meditation because it forces you to bring your attention to your body and your breath. Start with the sphinx pose. Lay on your stomach. Place your elbows under your shoulders. Lift your chest up to open the upper body.

3. Reach Out for Help

You aren’t alone. Reach out to a professional in-home caregiver agency to hire temporary help when you feel stressed. These professionals will take over your duties and give you time to regroup and refresh your mind. That way, you can rest assured that your child is getting the attention they need — while you take care of yourself, too.

Every parent caregiver deserves a helping hand. If you need help caring for your special needs child, you’ll find a compassionate, attentive, and flexible team of nursing professionals at Deer Valley Home Health Services in Berkeley, St. Charles, and St. Louis, MO. To speak with a member of their team about your needs, call (314) 355-3679 or visit them online to learn more about their services.