“Fill your cup first before you can fill other people’s cups”
Ever heard of the saying, “Fill your cup first before you can fill other people’s cups”? Well,
before you can take care good care of someone else, you must be able to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself doesn’t only include physical health, but also your mental health. Especially as a parent, your mental learning and psychology can make an impact on your motivation as a parent.
1. Sense of Effectiveness
One of the pillars and foundations of building a healthy mind is having a sense of effectiveness. Parents can develop their sense of effectiveness by discussing their wishes, hopes, desires, and goals. In coaching sessions, personal goals and behavioral problems are also addressed to improve physical and mental health.
Once parents have clear action steps and a proper game plan in mind, they will be able to feel competent. If they have a higher sense of self, parents will be able to regulate emotions more and strike better relationships with their kids. This can also boost the well-being and confidence of parents. In turn, they are more motivated to be effective parents.
Especially for working parents or entrepreneurial parents, developing a sense of effectiveness will help you avoid carrying negative baggage at home. The University of Southern California has also studied how working on your mental health can improve your motivation as an entrepreneur as well as a parent. By succeeding in your professional life, you can also become
better parents.
2. Autonomy
Autonomy is the amount of choice and the volition that a parent has. Building autonomy means
being able to choose what you value the most and act on your core values. By having this kind of
mindset, you will have the motivation to plan things out more with your kids. This is important
since it will increase persistence. Thereby, motivation is also increased.
Here are some questions on how to increase autonomy:
● What kind of parent do you want to be?
● How do you want to behave around your kids?
● What values are most important to you?
● Ten to twenty years from now, what would you want your kids to feel and say about you?
● What principles do you hold close to your heart?
By asking these questions, parents can have a clearer vision of their values and picture of the kind of parents they want to become. By building their intrinsic motivation, parents will be more driven to become the best parent they can be.
3. Relatedness
To improve one’s well-being, relatedness or the feeling of being cared for and caring for others must also be cultivated. Having a strong sense of relatedness, parents will feel less depressed. By feeling more love, parents can also give more love to their kids.
Relatedness can be fostered by making more connections with people through community organizations, organizing play dates among your kids’ friends, parenting groups, school functions, walks in the park, and online forums. Having a community by your side, the acknowledgment and encouragement you get from the rest of the members will provide a sense of kinship. By taking care of others and connecting with others, you are also taking care of yourself. With a sense of belonging, you will be able to feel good about yourself, connect with others more, and take care of your children better.
4. Self-Care
Another way to stay motivated as a parent is to have time for yourself. This may mean having time for yourself to improve, or just having time out for leisure. Self-care is incredibly integral in maintaining your physical and emotional health. You have to find time for yourself so that you will be able to take care of your children better.
Here are some ways to work on self-care:
● Going out for a jog, walk, or hike
● Having regular exercise
● Having a routine
● Reading books● Developing a hobby
● Making a reverse bucket list
● Taking time off
● Taking knitting or art classes, something to nurture your creative side
● Taking cooking classes
This practice of mental health and learning can aid in staying motivated and on top of things.
Self-care can go a long, long way in boosting motivation among people, even with parents.
Final Thoughts
Parenting can be challenging, but as a parent, you must never lose your motivation in taking care of your children the best possible way. As you can see now, by using psychology and taking care of your mental health, you will be able to sustain your motivation for your kids.
