Self-Care For Special Education Parents (Or Any Parent) If There’s No Time To Care For Yourself

BY BETSY GRANT

ISD PTSA Special Education Network Chairperson

special-education@issaquahptsa.org

Parents are just trying to get it all done. Finding the time to focus on your personal well-being can be difficult. For caretakers of children with disabilities or other medical issues, it is especially challenging to step away from their daily responsibilities. Taking an afternoon or a day off is often an impossibility. However, we all still need to find ways to destress and relax, if only for a stolen moment here and there, so we can continue to care for our loved ones.

When I was a student at Northwestern University in the early 1990s, there was a wonderful tradition called the Primal Scream. At 9 pm on the Sunday before every finals week, students open their windows or go outside and scream into the night at the top of their lungs. That momentary release of stress and pressure allowed me to clear my head and push forward with my responsibilities for the week ahead. I enjoyed the practice of taking a minute or two out of a particularly stressful time. I know parents are not able to scream at the top of their lungs at any given moment, so I’ve compiled a short list of ideas that will each allow for 5 minutes or less of self-care.

• Listen to a favorite song

• Stand up and stretch

• Put lotion on your hands or your face

• Eat a little something sweet (a piece of fruit or a small candy)

• Send a gratitude text to someone

• Put on lip balm

• Pet your dog or cat

• Light a scented candle

• Walk outside and take three deep breaths

But if you can safely scream for a few seconds, try it. Maybe even stomp your feet a little. I think you’ll like it.