Let’s focus on self-care this month! As a parent or guardian of a grieving child, this is important for you to focus on! It can be tiring ― mentally and emotionally ― to care for a grieving child. Knowing how to take care of yourself in the midst of that is one of the keys to being your best self.
In what ways are you currently engaging in self-care? How could you make adjustments in this area to gain a greater sense of well-being? Think about all of the different types of self-care: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social. In which area do you feel like you are best caring for yourself, and in which area do you feel like you could use the most improvement? We’d encourage you to take some time to reflect on this; take 10-15 minutes and sit down with a pen and paper to write down ways in which you could better care for yourself in each category.
Some people believe that self-care is selfish, but the reality is that if you are emotionally and physically drained, it is a lot harder for you to care for anyone else well. So ultimately, when we care for ourselves well, we can bring our best selves to others. This means that when we practice good self-care, not only do we personally benefit, but others ― including our grieving children ― benefit as well.