How can you best cope with stress as a new dad?
Explore five simple lifestyle changes that can help you cope with stress as a new dad, from self-care to asking for help if and when needed.
Becoming a new dad truly is one of the best experiences you will have in your life. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful and emotional too! Here we will explore how simple it is to cope with stress as a new dad, from ensuring you keep your electric shaver to hand for upkeep self-care to getting outside support.
Five tips that will help you deal with stress as a new dad
Everyone always offers plenty of advice for new mums, but it can be so easy to forget that dads face new challenges and stresses too. Here are five simple adjustments you can make to yourself and your lifestyle that will help you deal with stress as a new dad:
1) Eat well
A healthy diet is not only crucial to physical health but also mental health. Ensuring you have plenty of leafy greens, unsaturated fats, fruits, and whole grains in your diet will lead to better overall mental health with the added benefit of helping you deal with stress.
Top tip: The physical benefits such as a lower risk of diseases such as heart disease are also great for new dads, as you have less to worry about when it comes to being around to watch your children grow up.
2) Get plenty of rest
Parental burnout is a real thing. When you’re taking on the role of caretaker for your new little family, it can be easy to forget how important sleep is. Give yourself time to relax, unwind, put your phone away, and get some sleep. You’ll feel better for it and be better prepared to face the day and any stress that comes your way.
3) Get plenty of exercise
Just as rest is essential for your mental and physical health, so is exercise. Staying active is vital to maintaining good overall health and has stress-busting side effects too. Exercise is a great way to produce endorphins, which aren’t called the ‘happy hormone’ for nothing. Go for a run, or a walk, or dance with your partner or new baby. Get those juices flowing and help reduce your stress in this most simple of steps.
4) Take care of yourself
Tucking your electric shaver away and forgetting to look after yourself can seem the easier option when caring for your family comes first. However, a little self-care can go a long way. When you look good, you feel good, and it is easier to deal with any stress when you feel good.
5) Ask for help if you need it
A new mum isn’t the only parent prone to postnatal depression, new dads take on a lot too – physically and mentally. Talking to someone and getting the help you need is key when you are struggling with stress and feelings of depression as a new dad.
So, there you go. With just five simple changes to your lifestyle, you can increase your ability to deal with stress as a new dad. Now it’s time to go and put them into practice, and enjoy every second with your new bundle of joy.
