How to be a Calmer Parent

with Dr. Sindy Shin, Naturopathic Doctor and Self-Care Strategist

The other day, I got lost scrolling through the thousands of photos on my phone and couldn’t help but reflect on how much has happened these past couple years. When the world stopped and was seemingly falling apart, we were asked to keep going, wear all the different hats, and somehow keep it together.

Here we are now, as the world begins a new way forward and parents are understandably burnt out - physically, mentally and emotionally. Can your relate to feeling overwhelmed, experiencing lack of patience and yelling more? These can be signs of emotional burnout. At a time like this, it’s important to quiet the noise, reconnect to yourself and find ways to feel like yourself again.

Here are 3 simple ways to nurture your emotional well-being, that will lift you up and light you up, so you can feel lighter and calmer within (bonus: they don’t cost a thing and are totally doable even when you have no time):

1. Let go of guilt and embrace gratitude - When you feel guilt creep in, replace it with feeling grateful in the moment. For example, if you feel guilty for taking time away for yourself, embrace this time with a grateful heart instead. Feel gratitude your children are in good hands, feel gratitude for the people supporting you and be grateful for this golden opportunity to nurture yourself.

2. Play that song - Create a personalized playlist of songs that feel good in your soul, make you sway your body, close your eyes and take you back to your happy place. Have this playlist ready for those solo car rides, walks or the pockets of alone time at home. Music is magic for embodying feel-good emotions and helping you get out of your head and back into your body.

3. Make peace with imperfection - I always say, “finding balance in motherhood is making peace with imperfection”. When you let go of perfection, you can find more peace and joy in the unfixable, unexpected and unfiltered moments. Redefine balance as beholding the things that matter most, in a way that feels aligned within your soul.

Parenthood isn’t easy and at times feels like a storm. But, in the emotional whirlwind, with your heart at the centre - trust that you’ll find your way. The next time you feel overwhelmed - pause in the moment, take a deep breath, then repeat after me: In the chaos and in the calm, I am worthy.