“Managing Stress as a Busy Parent” by Janet Li
Becoming a parent comes with many responsibilities. This includes taking care of a child’s basic needs, protecting their health, and acting as a role model, not to mention handling unexpected situations that happen on a daily basis. Amidst all the chaos, many parents have found it extremely difficult to balance taking care of the kids, household chores, and working while having time for themselves. As a result, many parents often feel overwhelmed and stressed, negatively affecting their mental health and wellbeing. This blog introduces a variety of stress-relieving techniques and habits that can be incorporated into the busy schedules of many parents.
1) Acknowledging stress and emotions
When feeling overwhelmed, consciously acknowledging how you are feeling, such as through naming the emotion you are feeling, can be helpful. This allows you to think more rationally rather than emotionally and prevents actions that you may regret later. Noticing your feelings in the moment can also help to identify your triggers and give insight for how you can best manage stress. Not to mention, this can decrease the intensity of future emotions by preventing emotions from being suppressed or bottled up.
2) 5-4-3-2-1 grounding
In stressful situations, taking a step back to focus on your surroundings can help calm the mind. Naming 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste is one method to destress, called the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique.
3) Deep breathing
Because deep breathing can be done in any place at any time, it is a popular way to reduce stress. Taking 10-15 slow, deep breaths can effectively calm the mind and nervous system.
4) Adequate quality sleep
The National Sleep Foundation recommends at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night for healthy function in adults. Consistently sleeping less than 7 hours prevents the body from getting adequate rest, affecting not only physical but also mental health. Specifically, sleep deprivation has been linked to increased irritability, increased anxiety, and impaired judgement, making it harder to manage stress. Setting and following a sleep schedule and bedtime routine can make getting enough quality sleep easier.
5) Regular exercise
Everyday movement has been shown to lower cortisol levels, decreasing stress. At the same time, physical activity increases the production of endorphins that elevate your mood. Somatic exercises, such as yoga and pilates, are a popular choice that combines movement with mental health care. Such exercises reduce stress, improve concentration, and increase mobility.
6) Spending time outside
Taking a walk through the woods, hiking, and having a picnic at the park are all great ways to destress. According to research conducted by an interdisciplinary Cornell University team, spending as little as 10 minutes outside can improve mood, decrease blood pressure, and slow heart rate, rendering outside activities a great way to alleviate stress.
7) 10 minute meditation or journaling
Building habits such as a daily 10-minute meditation or weekly journaling can help collect your thoughts, reflect on the day/week and your emotions, and destress. It also allows you to notice patterns in behavior or emotions to better understand causes of stress, enabling more appropriate responses to stress in the future.
Takeaways
While parenting comes with many duties and responsibilities, it’s important to remember that feeling chronically stressed is not normal. Incorporating healthy habits and destressing techniques into daily life can help manage high stress levels. Not to mention, doing these activities repeatedly can set an example for others around you, including children, encouraging them to also practice these habits, bettering their mental health. However, if you are experiencing chronic stress and anxiety, it may be a good idea to seek professional help.
References
Hi Janet! Thank you for sharing this really helpful blog about managing stress as a busy parent! I think this is such an important topic because parenting involves so many responsibilities, and it can be easy for parents to become so focused on taking care of everyone else that they neglect their own mental and physical health. I especially appreciated that you included techniques that don't require a lot of time or special resources, such as deep breathing, grounding, and spending time outside. When someone is already overwhelmed by work, household responsibilities, and taking care of their children, even the thought of adding another activity to their schedule can feel stressful, so I think emphasizing small habits that can fit…
It’s true that many parents feel like they’re expected to always put their children first, but it’s important to remember not to sacrifice your own health and wellbeing
This blog is wonderful. These techniques are going to be very useful for a stressed mom.
This was really helpful. Parenting seems incredibly stressful, and I liked how the article focused on simple, realistic strategies like deep breathing, spending time outside, and grounding techniques. It’s a good reminder that taking care of your own mental health is important too.