World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on 10 October.
This year’s theme set by the World Federation of Mental Health is workplace mental health. We know that a lot of working parents often put their own mental health on the back burner and although we may not be able to give you support within your workplace, we can however offer support to parents who may be feeling overwhelmed with the ever changing world of parenthood. We have compiled a list of informative articles from Action for Children’s Parent Talk website that offer insights and advice for parents who may be struggling or know of someone struggling. Take some time to read through these and share them with anyone you feel may benefit.
Pregnancy and birth can be a magical time for a family, but it can also be very tough and difficult to adjust to.
Adjusting to a new lifestyle, recovering from a traumatic birth and bonding with your baby can be difficult, so it’s important to look after your mental health at these times. If you do experience challenges with your mental health as a new parent, remember that you are not alone and there is a lot of support out there to help you.
In this article you will find reasons you may be struggling, ways in which you can help yourself and where to get help if needed……Mental health care with a new baby – postnatal depression (actionforchildren.org.uk)
It can feel overwhelming when you’re struggling to support your family financially and this may affect your wellbeing and mental health.
It’s important to know you’re not alone and that there are things you can do to manage the situation and places to get help.
In this article you will find out how money can affect your mental health, ways to cope with the stress and anxiety surrounding money and great ways to organise your finances as well as more support if needed…….Money and mental health as a parent or carer – Support for Parents from Action For Children
Feelings of loneliness can happen for many different reasons. You may be a new parent, have moved to a new place, or unable to access your usual support networks. You may have experienced the loss of a partner or loved one, or the end of a relationship.
Understanding the signs and having some techniques to help you cope can make all the difference.
In this article you will find signs of parental loneliness and ideas for coping with loneliness……How to cope with feeling lonely as a parent or carer (actionforchildren.org.uk)
Seeing your child’s challenging behaviour can be upsetting and confusing. Many parents have questions about why their child is showing difficult behaviour. It can feel exhausting to look for answers and solutions.
The most important thing to remember is you are not alone.
In this article you will find the feeling and impact of your child’s behaviour and ways in which you can seek help……Support if you’re affected by your child’s behaviour (actionforchildren.org.uk)
If you’re feeling overwhelmed on a day-to-day basis, you may have parental burnout. You might feel you don’t have time to look after your own needs, or that the pressure to be a ‘good’ parent is too much.
Burnout can appear in a number of ways. So it’s important to recognise when things are getting difficult, and know what you can do about it.
In this article you will find ways to understand stress and burnout, learn how to stop burnout, setting important boundaries and many more helpful tips to help…..How to deal with parental burnout- get help when overwhelmed (actionforchildren.org.uk)
If you need further support you can find a full list of other support organisations on the Parent Talk website here…..Other helplines and support – Support for Parents from Action For Children