Being a parent is not easy, especially when you have small kids and a job to attend. It can be an overwhelming situation where you feel that the stress takes control over your life as you wake up in the morning, take your kids to school, go to the job, and return home later in the day just to find other chores that you need to do like cooking, cleaning, or doing homework with your kids. No wonder why even some unimportant and useless things push you over the edge, as it is a lot to take in. It is not a good scenario for your children either because if you are stressed as a parent, your kids will take your energy, worsening the situation.
The good news is that there are ways to improve your life and reduce stress but to do so, you will need to learn what stress is, its causes and how to avoid it. But don’t worry; at the end of this article, you will have all the details you need to improve your life.
What is stress?
Stress is a human reaction to a challenging situation that can happen to anyone. Although stress can be positive in some cases because it keeps us alert to avoid danger, it is something you do not want to experience most of the time. The normal reaction you feel when you are stressed is an increased heart rate, changes in vision and rapid breathing, but in the case of long-term stress, the symptoms get worse and affect your mind and body negatively. Other signs that can show that you are dealing with stress are:
- Mood changes
- Sleeping difficulties
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Physical aches
- Trembling
- Panic attacks
What are the causes of parental stress?
For a parent, a child is a blessing, but at the same time, having a kid will raise several questions and fears that can lead to stressful situations. Parental stress is expected as taking care of the family, having a job and succeeding in all the household chores is not easy. To take proper actions to deal with stress and reduce it, you need to know the causes that trigger it. So, here are some of the most common sources of parental stress.
- Time demands. When you’re a parent, it would be excellent if the day would have more than 24 hours. But even then, all your things from your to-do list could not be completed successfully, as you have a lot of them, like spending time with your kid, doing the laundry, cleaning and cooking, helping your kid with homework, and maybe attending a full-time job.
- Finances. No one prepares you for having a kid and tells you about the finances you need to have to care for your children properly. And although they are worth the expenses, parents still face financial stress.
- Protective Instincts. Because parents want all the best for their children, they often get more protective than they should, as they don’t want anything bad to happen to their kids. And the protective instincts will be felt, starting from the kid’s first steps until they slowly become adults, and even after.
- Self-doubt. Many parents, especially mothers, think they don’t do their job enough, so they stress because they want to give the best experience to their kids.
How can you reduce parental stress?
The good news is that parental stress can be reduced if you follow some essential steps to improve your life positively. They are simple ways, easy to adopt and don’t require special measures, so you can follow them even today if you want to.
Improve your diet
What you eat impacts your physical and mental health and can relieve or increase stress. So, to improve your well-being, you need to have a diet based on fruits, vegetables and homemade meals that will offer different vitamins vital for your body. You should also eat regularly and not skip any meal of the day, as they will help you give the energy you need. Besides having essential eating habits, you can also include ingredients in your meals known for having a positive effect that will surely reduce your stress and improve your well-being. For example, cooking with cannabis seeds is a popular trend that several people continue to adopt because they give nutritional value to your food, and with their help, you can better overcome the hard times of your day. If you want to introduce these seeds into your routine, you can start with the blueberry strain, as it is great for treating pain, reducing stress and insomnia, and uplifting your mood.
Exercise
Exercising is another great way to cope better with bad times because it permits your brain to produce several endorphins, making you feel happier and better than usual. You don’t need to start with running a mile a day, as you can just take regular walks at night, go with your kids to a park, and play tennis or volleyball with them and you will see that your mood instantly improves.
Try relaxation techniques
You can relax and enjoy more your time in several ways, like practicing yoga, trying breath focus, or mindful meditation. They will help you keep your mind on the present moment and forget other worries. Plus, if you practice yoga, you can also improve your flexibility and balance and have a more equilibrated and healthy life. Music can also help you relax and reduce stress, so maybe between all the times you need to be everywhere, you can also play music on your phone to give you energy and keep your thoughts away from not-the-so-easy moments.
Being a parent is not an easy job, but many simple ways exist to reduce stress.
