Whether you're a
stay-at-home parent or a working parent, stress will
occasionally creep into your life. How often are you
visited by stress? Does it come and go? Does it hunker
down and stay for a while? How do we know when stress is
impairing our functioning? What can we do to prevent
stress from getting out of hand? These are all important
questions that we need to pay attention to regularly.
Stress can negatively impact our health, our kids, our
marriage, and our work. Here are some tips on how to
recognize symptoms of stress and manage that stress
effectively.
Note: Your first stop should be a visit
to your doctor to evaluate the cause of your symptoms
and rule out whether you are having any serious physical
or mental illness. The following tips should not be
considered a substitute for a medical evaluation.
Some possible symptoms of stress include:
increased illness
decreased sense of satisfaction in life
increased alcohol/caffeine/drug use
sleep disturbance
increased anxiety
weight loss
poor concentration
difficulty making decisions
difficulty relaxing
snapping at loved ones/stressed personal relationships
Some things you can do to manage stress in your life:
Develop a support network.
Support networks can include family, friends, or
workmates. If you're a stay-at-home parent, it's
especially important to reach out to others for
support. Get to know the other parents at your
child's school. If you have a very young child, try
to find a play group or mom's group to attend.
Volunteer at your child's school.
Leave time for relaxing.
Don't overbook yourself. Be selective about the
activities you choose for yourself and your family
members. Kids need time to unwind, just like adults.
Stressed parents can create stressed children. Enjoy
relaxing with your kids. Have fun playing board games, going for walks, or watching movies together.
And don't forget taking time to relax by yourself or
with friends. Get yourself a
babysitter and enjoy some kid free time!
Start a hobby. Some hobbies
might include crafts, gardening, reading, or playing
music. Participating in a hobby is also good role
modeling for your kids. Help your child take
interest in a hobby or participate in a hobby
together with your child. Hobbies can be great
outlets for stress. Take a class to learn more about
your hobby.
Exercise. Keep yourself
physically fit. Regular exercise is one of the best
stress reducers. If you need time away from the
kids, exercise solo. Or, make exercising a family
activity. Join a gym, power walk, ride your bike,
purchase some exercise equipment or an exercise video. It's a great idea to alternate your exercise
routine to avoid boredom. Instead of working out to
your exercise video one day, take a vigorous walk.
Even if you exercise for 15 minutes of less during a peak
stress period, you'll rapidly decrease that stress
level. And, you'll feel much better about yourself!
If you are pregnant or suffer from any medical
conditions, have your doctor approve your exercise
plan.
Get enough sleep. Rest is
incredibly important for maintaining good health. If
you continuously have difficulty with nighttime sleep, problem solve with your doctor about
improving the situation. If you find yourself waking
up frequently to feed or comfort your baby, make
sure you try to catch up on that sleep. Do some
research on helping your child sleep through
the night. If you're a
stay-at-home parent, nap when your child naps. It's
more important to rest than get those extra chores
done around the house.
If you're a working parent,
try to rest during a work break or have your spouse
share in the responsibility of attending to your
child during the night. Take time during weekends to
relax and nap. Have a friend come and watch your
child for an hour so you can take a nap.
Keep a
journal. Jot things
down that make you feel stressed. Look for patterns.
Try to pinpoint your exact stressors. Formulate
solutions. Sometimes, merely the act of recording
your feelings in a journal will help alleviate your
stress.
Keep the clutter at bay.
Mess can feel overwhelming. Unclutter your home.
Your home should feel like your sanctuary, but if
it's filled with clutter, you may feel a sense of
chaos and stress. Take time to organize. Make
cleaning and organizing a game with your kids. Make
it a treasure hunt. Keeping clutter minimized can
feel impossible with young children. If this is the
case, pick a room in your house to use as your
sanctuary and keep that room uncluttered. Or, just
work on one room at a time. Remember, don't create
stress by expecting the whole house to stay
immaculate. Be realistic.
Delegate jobs to others.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Teach your kids at
a young age how to help around the house. Share
household responsibilities with your spouse. Ask
extended family or friends to pick the kids up from
school once in a while or baby-sit while you take a
break. At work, ask for help if needed or speak up
if you feel that your work load is overwhelming.
Listen to relaxing music or
sounds. Get yourself some relaxation tapes
and take some time throughout the day to listen and
unwind.
Practice relaxation
activities. Practice activities such as guided
imagery, meditation, yoga, or deep breathing on a
regular basis.
Check out
stress management books
to get more ideas on stress reduction activities.
. It's a great idea to alternate your exercise
routine to avoid boredom. Instead of working out to
your exercise video one day, take a vigorous walk.
Even if you exercise for 15 minutes of less during a peak
stress period, you'll rapidly decrease that stress
level. And, you'll feel much better about yourself!
If you are pregnant or suffer from any medical
conditions, have your doctor approve your exercise
plan.
on helping your child sleep through
the night. If you're a
stay-at-home parent, nap when your child naps. It's
more important to rest than get those extra chores
done around the house.