Parent Mental Health Day: Supporting Your Mental Health as a Parent or Carer

Parents and carers: take a moment to reflect on the balance you have in your life.

“The days are long but the years are short” is a saying often used to describe how parenthood feels.

Many parents experience constant pressure as they juggle the competing demands of family, home and career. This can take a toll on their wellbeing. And if they're caring for a child — or another family member, partner or friend — who needs support due to mental ill health, illness, disability, Many parents experience constant pressure as they juggle the competing demands of family, home and career, and this can take a real toll on their wellbeing. or addiction, that pressure can feel even greater.

Parental mental health matters because there is a clear trickle-down effect between a parent or carer’s mental health and the physical and emotional wellbeing of their children.

Why Parent and Carer Mental Health Matters

When parents and carers are emotionally overwhelmed or burnt out, it doesn’t happen in isolation. Stress, exhaustion and emotional strain can affect how we respond to our children, our partners and ourselves.

Looking after your mental health isn’t selfish — it’s an essential part of supporting the wellbeing of your family. When carers feel supported and resourced, children benefit from greater emotional safety, consistency and connection.

Seven Strategies to Support Your Mental Health as a Parent or Carer

Prioritising your own wellbeing is really important — but how do you make time for it? How can you balance supporting your family’s health while also taking steps to care for yourself?

The following strategies don’t require significant time or resources, yet they can make a meaningful difference in reducing stress and strengthening connections within your family.

1. Take a Few Minutes for Yourself Each Day

This may be easier said than done. But taking a few minutes each day to pause and focus on how you're feeling can be invaluable. A brief moment of self-reflection helps you notice what’s going well, what might need attention, and what you need to thrive.

You might reflect on situations you found yourself in, how they unfolded, and how you felt. Could anything have been handled differently? This isn’t about self-criticism or judgement — it’s about noticing where there may be room to grow, adjust, care for yourself and treat yourself more kindly.

2. Practise Self-Care in Small, Sustainable Ways

Self-care for parents isn’t about occasional indulgences; it’s about regularly engaging in activities that restore your energy reserves, reduce stress and support your sense of self.

Carving out small moments to unwind can have a positive impact on both your wellbeing and your parenting. Self-care doesn’t need to involve major changes — it might be a 15-minute walk around the block, a quiet cup of tea, or reading a magazine. Whatever helps you feel restored matters.

Remember: you can’t take care of others if you’re not taking care of yourself.

3. Spend Meaningful Time With Your Family

Quality time with parents and carers has a positive impact on children as they grow — and quality matters far more than quantity. What this looks like will vary from family to family.

Meaningful time is about being fully present and offering your undivided attention. This might be playing together, reading at bedtime, sharing a meal, or listening as your child talks about their day. Presence is what makes the difference.

4. Be Thoughtful About What You Commit To

It can be tempting to try to keep everyone happy by doing it all — ferrying children to after-school activities, working extra hours, managing multiple households, and attending appointments for others while neglecting your own needs. But saying yes to too much is a fast track to burnout.

When stress becomes constant, children notice and may start to take that pressure on themselves. Modelling healthy boundaries is far more supportive in the long run. While you may disappoint others occasionally, protecting your wellbeing allows you to show up more sustainably for those you care about.

5. Don’t Take Adolescent Behaviour Personally

Adolescence can be challenging for both teenagers and parents. Behaviour that feels disrespectful, withdrawn or confrontational often becomes a source of stress.

These behaviours are a normal part of development. Teenagers undergo significant physical and emotional changes, as well as changes to their thinking. Eye-rolling, emotional outbursts or withdrawal are often expressions of inner turmoil rather than personal attacks.

As young people form their own identities, they naturally seek independence and turn more towards peers. While this stage can feel painful, it is usually temporary. Staying connected, while allowing space, can help you navigate it with greater compassion.

6. Make Time to Talk and Stay Connected

Do your conversations with your partner focus mainly on logistics and daily tasks? Fatigue and time pressures can make deeper conversations feel out of reach, and parenting often pushes couple-focused time aside.

Setting aside regular time to connect — away from children — allows space to share stresses, concerns and joys. Strong adult relationships support family stability and help lighten the emotional load.

If you are a single parent, this need for connection still applies. Supportive conversations with friends or family can offer reassurance and understanding.

7. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Recognising when you need support — and asking for it — is a sign of strength, not failure or weakness. If you notice you're becoming more irritable, withdrawing emotionally, or exhaustion is becoming more frequent, it may be time to reach out.

Parenting and caring are not meant to be done alone. Sharing responsibilities fairly and seeking professional support when needed can reduce burnout and protect your mental health.

Support for Parents and Carers Who Are Struggling

If parenting or caring feels overwhelming, you deserve support.

Speaking with friends or family is obviously important. But a trained professional can provide a space for you to reflect, where you can feel heard and explore ways forward without judgment.

How Counselling Can Help Parents and Carers

If you’re finding things difficult and would like to know more about how counselling can help, please feel free to get in touch. I offer a calm, supportive space to explore whatever you’re facing at your own pace.

I won’t offer quick fixes or tell you what to do. Instead, I’ll work alongside you to help you understand what’s going on in your life and find ways forward that feel right for you.

If you’re ready to talk, I offer an initial consultation to help you feel at ease and see whether we’re the right fit.