As a single father, you juggle everything: parenting, working a full-time job, managing your household, and supporting your kids. It is an exhausting process. But staying healthy and happy is important, particularly because you want to set a good example for your children. This article is about how to regain control of your life after becoming a father and live as healthy as possible. Here are a few valuable tips by Jonah Engler that you can follow.
4 Tips by Jonah Engler on How to Claim Happiness as a Single Father
1. Spend Time with Other Adults
When you are a single parent, it is so easy to get caught up in taking care of your children that you forget important things like self-care and socializing with other adults. Try setting aside an hour every week where you leave your kids with someone else so that you can do something fun yourself — maybe even meet a friend for coffee or lunch. This will help you feel better about yourself, and it will help keep your relationship with your child positive as well.
2. Take One Day off per Week
Forget about work for one day per week and spend time doing something fun with just your children. This could be an activity they enjoy, such as swimming or playing a board game together. It could also be something you know they do not like but would be interested in if they tried it — like taking them to a newly opened adventure park.
3. Practice Mindfulness Meditation like Jonah Engler
Being an active practitioner of meditation, Jonah Engler says that mindfulness meditation is the practice of being fully present at the moment, without judgment or expectation. By focusing on your breath and observing thoughts and emotions without reacting to them, you can develop greater awareness of your mind and body. This can help you cope with stress more effectively and improve your relationship with your children.
4. Be Open with Your Kids About Your Feelings
While it might be tempting to hide your sadness or loneliness from them, so they do not worry, it is better to be open, so they know they can rely on you when they need help coping with their emotions. It is okay to see that it hurts when they lose someone close to them or when they fight with friends or siblings. It also helps if they understand that even though things might seem like they are going well at times for their family, everyone has ups and downs in life — including their parents.
Final Word
While single fatherhood can be a difficult challenge at times, it certainly does not have to be impossible. These tips should help you get some much-appreciated time away from parenting duties to have some fun and ease your mind. So do not forget—you are doing a great job! All of you single dads out there are doing so much for your kids, and they will appreciate it more than they let on.