Brand Journalism article

Top five stress management tools for parenting headaches

Are you wishing for a break from the kids? Feeling overwhelmed with parental pressure? Every parent finds themselves in this position at one point or another. Stress is common among parents; however, chronic stress is detrimental to a person’s well-being. Parental stress can also be unintentionally projected onto their kids, creating an unhealthy environment. Therefore, parents properly managing their stress can create healthy environments for their kids to learn from as well.

The key is to manage stress symptoms with micro breaks, versus attempting to fix at one moment. In this article, you'll find some tools you can use when parenting gives you a headache.

1. Community

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise children. Whoever your village may be, parents can find that talking to their community can provide them with great relief. By speaking out about your struggles, you can reduce the heavy feelings of shame that can increase parental stress. Plus, an outside perspective can provide good advice. If you keep all that inside you, you risk a more explosive emotional outburst later on. This is why confiding in your support system is a necessary step in reducing stress from your life.

2. Exercise or movement

Anger and frustration are strong emotions. We have all had our moments where the anger was almost overwhelming. This is when it is important to recognize when you need to walk away and get your emotions in check. Exercising or moving around can help regulate those emotions. Sometimes a short walk outside, stretching or punching a pillow can make the most difference. When it comes down to these tough parent moments, you have to safely get rid of the anger or strong emotions. By moving your body in small way, you are giving your mind temporary relief from excessively overthinking.

3. Have fun

It is easy to get caught up in the monotony of parenting. During the tough times, parents might want to hunker down and focus on what has to be done around the house. However, it is more beneficial to enjoy moments of fun to get the family in a positive headspace, even temporarily. Even through stressful situations, these moments of relief can allow for parents to add more balance to their lives. It is important to prioritize activities that are for entertainment only to replenish your parental cup with fulfillment and joy. By doing this you are creating a healthy environment to enjoy your parenting journey through the stressors in life, ultimately teaching your kids the importance of balance.

4. Microbreaks

Parenthood is a busy life, and with multiple kids, it can be even busier. It is not always possible to take the vacation or have a weekend trip, but microbreaks may be feasible. Give each other designated time off from the kids so your partner can have a break in whatever way best fits your family’s needs. Whether it is one parent enjoying a slow morning or one going out with friends, these micro breaks are beneficial for parents over all well-being during busy times. If you recognize your co-parent struggling, do what you can to offer relief from their parental duties to recharge. By being proactive with this, you can eliminate the risk of over-exhausting one or the other.

5. Small habits

It is about managing a home, the kids’ schedules, family meals and even more. While it is great to want better lifestyle choices for your family, it is necessary to understand that it takes time to set and change habits. If you attempt to change every detail about you and your family routines at once, it may not be a smooth transition and it may not last. This could cause you or the kids to feel overwhelmed and leave a feeling of frustration. To set your new routine up for success, focus on one area at a time and build from there. As routines change, pay attention to areas of your routine that may need tweaking to be successful. No one can change their entire life in a few days, but you can alleviate your mental load by modifying small pieces of your daily routine.

These strategies can allow parents to have a clearer head when going through tough moments with their kids.

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Needing to check out of parenting mode for a moment? Don’t worry; we all need breaks from time to time. These tips are tools to help unwind and clear your mind. Learn more about how you can relieve your stress via the link below. #Unwind #parentingtools