“Your No. 1 tool for mental health is downtime and new experiences,” says Nona Kocher, MPH, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist. “When parents ignore their own happiness, it can hurt their mood, patience, and energy with their kids. This creates a cycle that increases stress and can even lead to anxiety or depression. Basically, taking care of yourself isn’t selfish. It helps you handle everything else better and show up as a better version of yourself.”
Parents Are Drowning in Child Care Costs—and It’s Breaking Their Mental Health
