Anyone who tells you parenting isn’t a stressful job…probably isn’t a parent. It’s one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have, but it also comes with plenty of challenges.

If there are days (or weeks) when you feel like parenting stress is becoming too much, you’re not alone. You also don’t need to feel overwhelmed by that stress.

Let’s cover a few tips you can start using right away to cope with the stress of parenting and actually enjoy more of the responsibilities you have to handle every day.

Make Time for Self-Care

As a parent, it’s normal to want to put your kids first in everything you do. But, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s necessary. If you choose to ignore your stress, you’re less likely to take care of yourself and work on combatting it.

So, make sure you acknowledge the stress you’re experiencing instead of pushing it down. Once you do that, you can actively make time for self-care. The good news? It doesn’t have to be anything that takes a lot of time or feels like a luxury.

Instead, self-care can become a part of your normal daily routine. Things like cooking a healthy meal, exercising, journaling, and yoga are all incredible self-care activities that don’t take up much time and can make a big difference in how you feel.

Focus On Your Strengths

Every stage of parenting comes with its own new challenges. Experiencing those challenges over and over again can be taxing on the mind and body. It’s easy to get down on yourself and lose confidence in your parenting abilities.

Unfortunately, when you allow negative self-talk to take over, it will often cause your stress to amplify.

Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Consider reciting positive affirmations to yourself each day, and remind yourself of the good things you do as a parent. Everyone has to learn as they go, and it’s okay to make mistakes.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun

Sometimes, parents get so caught up in being responsible and trying to keep things on track that they forget to have fun.

Your kids are only young once. While it’s important to keep them safe and guide them down healthy paths, it’s also okay to have fun with them sometimes. Get down on their level and play. Laugh. Learn.

Adults can benefit from play just as much as kids. It reduces stress, can boost your mood, and increase your bond with your child. Plus, by interacting more during play time and choosing to have fun, you could even boost the mental health of your little one, since they’ll likely pick up on the lack of tension as your stress fades away.

Lean On Your Support System

As the old saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Lean into that. You don’t have to buy into the mindset that you should be doing everything on your own. Your partner, family, and friends are there to help you, and chances are they would be more than happy to take care of your needs if it helped to reduce your stress.

While you can still set boundaries with the people in your life and your children, don’t feel like you’re “less than” because you have to ask for support.

Additionally, consider reaching out for parenting therapy when your mental well-being is struggling. If you don’t address your stress and work on combatting it, it could turn into anxiety, or even depression. Talking to a therapist can help you better understand the root of your parenting stress. You’ll also learn healthy ways to manage your symptoms and overcome your triggers.