How I Look After My Mental Health as a Parent
- The Sustainable School
- Oct 10
- 3 min read
You’ve probably seen quite a few events, campaigns and posts about mental health in your October news feed, as this month marks Mental Health Awareness Month. But as one of my connections who runs community sessions to support people struggling with mental health timely asked, “Do we actually need more awareness, or more real action plans to help?”
That question stayed with me. Still, I believe awareness is an important first step. It’s encouraging to see more people talking about mental health and normalising the topic in ways that weren’t common before.
And as a parent, I think it’s a good reminder to care for our own mental wellbeing too. Here are a few small practices I use to stay grounded when life gets chaotic.
Daily meditation
After practising short sessions of stillness and breathing on and off for a year, I’ve only recently realised how powerful it can be. There are moments when my family expects a quick decision from me, yet I have no idea what to say. In the past I would get frustrated, and sometimes my emotions spilled over to my innocent audience.
Now I simply say, “Give me a moment, I’ll do a 20-minute meditation first.” Surprisingly, no one laughs or finds it strange. I go into my room, close the curtain, switch off the light and sit comfortably on the bed or chair. Personally I use a meditation app for gentle music and to follow the breathing rhythm, but I do think sitting quietly in the dark works too!
After the session, I often come out feeling calmer and lighter. I’ve noticed how tense my muscles can get when I’m anxious, which shows how the body and mind are truly connected. Even though sometimes I still don’t have a clear solution, I feel more confident and at ease through the meditation exercise. Many “big decisions” can wait, and often it’s our own mindset that makes things feel heavier than they really are. That leads me to my next reminder: let it pass.
Let it pass
When your child comes home upset about a fight with a classmate or a disappointing competition result, you probably say, “Let it pass.” Yet when it comes to ourselves, parents are often the worst at taking this advice.
Maybe you missed a school performance, forgot the mussel bar in your child’s lunchbox, or brushed them off while finishing some work. I’ve been there, and I used to feel so guilty that I’d try to make up for it by buying new toys or squeezing in extra “quality time” even when I was exhausted. But that rarely worked. My attention was divided, my mind somewhere else, and my child could sense it.
Eventually I learned to tell myself that it’s alright to let it pass. I try to focus on the moments when I am truly present — playing a game together, tucking him into bed, sharing a movie, caring for him when that little stomach feels grumpy…those are the memories that matter. No one sets the standard for perfect parenting, isn't it?
Me time
We hear it often, but “me time” is really something to recognise its importance for. I discovered this after starting Mama on Palette, when I realised how drawing and visiting art spaces could lift my mood during postnatal blues. Since then, I have always kept a hobby or two outside my roles as a mother and a professional.
That experience inspired my first TEDx talk, where I shared how finding “a third life” beyond work and family helps me through the ups and downs of life. Whether it’s painting, gardening or reading, I believe every parent deserves some space to recharge and rediscover joy.
And hey - I’m just an ordinary parent, and these are simple mental health tips that help me keep my feet on the ground because it’s easy to feel like we’re constantly jumping (LOL).
Jokes aside, if I could add one more layer to the “triple bottom line” of sustainability, it would be mental sustainability. It’s something we all need, not just parents, but everyone who is doing their best, seeking balance, and hoping for a little peace in this busy world.
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