Let’s talk about putting yourself last

When I was a parent with young children, I found it incredibly difficult to carve out time to do anything for myself. There were always other things that took priority and needed my time, yet I craved time to do something for me and felt frustrated when I couldn’t seem to make it happen. We hear this a lot with the working parents we coach – no time to prioritise themselves and feelings of guilt if and when they do. They always find they are last on their to-do list if they are on the list at all and, over time, this leads to feelings of overwhelm, exhaustion and resentment.

What is this really about?

Fundamentally when you have a very busy life, it is easier to deprioritise yourself than someone else. After all, you are only making a commitment to yourself and not letting anyone else down. In the other videos in this series, we’ve discussed the impact of guilt and not feeling you are doing a good enough job and these often fuel working parents’ lack of prioritisation for themself. Yet, the impact of neglecting self-care is considerable. In the short video below, I talk through why it is critical that working parents carve out time for themselves and suggest practical tips to help this happen in an ongoing and realistic way.

See more resources for working parents here or watch other videos in this series about overcoming common working parent challenges.

Virginia Herlihy, CEO & Founder, How Do You Do It