Looking after yourself

Tips to look after yourself

1. Ask for help: ask family or friends to help with chores, like washing clothes, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking meals, or gardening. If you have older children, ask for help with school drop-off and pick up.
2. Talk with others: chat with friends and family. Visit your local library or community service to find out about groups in your area where you can meet other parents.
3. Stay in the moment: try not to worry about the future.
4. Set realistic goals you can reach:  like how to manage money or how to share chores.
5. Stay active and eat right: try to do some easy exercise, like walking, for 20 to 30 minutes every day. Eat from all the 5 food groups. Join the ‘Get Healthy’ service to help you with your healthy eating and physical activity goals.
6. Set time for yourself: do something for yourself every day, even if it is small, like watching your favourite show, meditating, or having a shower in peace.
7. Check your feelings: if you feel sad or worried, talk to your family doctor or maternal, child and family health nurse for more support.

Free services available to help you:

Looking after mental health

Becoming a parent is a big change. You might feel tired or sad sometimes and think it is just because you are not sleeping well. If you still feel down even after getting more rest, you might need some extra help.

It is common to feel anxious or sad after having a baby It is okay to ask for help. Without help, these feelings might not go away and can last a long time. But with the right help, you can feel better.

Signs of anxiety:

• anxiety or fear that interrupts your thoughts and interferes with daily tasks
• feeling restless
• finding it hard to relax
• changes in how you eat or sleep
• taking a long time to fall asleep at night
• always worried about your baby and their health
• having panic attacks that are hard to control.
• having tense muscles, a tight chest and heart palpitations (or your heart is beating fast).

Signs of depression:

• thinking bad things about yourself, your life or your baby
• feeling hopeless and like things will never get better
• even with rest, your thoughts and feelings remain negative
• thinking your family might be better off without you.

If you ever think of hurting yourself or your baby, it is important to get help right away. Call the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511