Parental Stress: A Crisis
We all know that parenting is stressful, but many of us wonder “Should it really be THIS HARD?!?”. Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a significant warning about parental stress, answering the question with a resounding “NO!”. The warning highlighting its impact not just on parents but also on children and their mental health.
The Reality of Parental Stress
For most of us parenting is a confusing mix of enjoyment, purpose, and overwhelm. From juggling work, home life, self care, and children’s needs, most parents face stress and pressure from all directions and unfortunately support is lacking.
The Surgeon General’s warning had some key ideas that explain the reality of our society’s parenting crisis.
Impact on Mental Health: High levels of parental stress are linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout. When parents struggle with their mental health, it can create a ripple effect, influencing the emotional climate at home and the children’s wellbeing.
Effects on Children: Children are highly attuned to their parents’ emotions. Elevated stress affects parenting styles, leading to less responsiveness and engagement. This can impact a child’s emotional development and lead to behavioral issues.
The Importance of Support: The warning underscores the need for robust support systems for parents. This includes access to mental health resources, community support, and strategies to help manage stress.
Practical Strategies
While the challenges of parenting are real, there are effective strategies parents can adopt to reduce stress and promote well-being:
1. Establish a Support Network
Connecting with other parents, family members, or friends can provide a valuable support system. Sharing experiences and challenges can lighten the emotional load.
2. Practice Self-Care
Parents often prioritize their children’s needs over their own, but self-care is crucial. Simple activities like taking a walk, reading, or engaging in a hobby can recharge your batteries and improve your mood.
3. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Incorporating mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing or meditation, can help parents manage stress in the moment. Check out our blog post on stress reduction for more ideas.
4. Set Realistic Expectations
It’s essential to acknowledge the reality that even the bare minimum of taking care of children is alot of work. Most of us try to be as productive as we were before we had kids which is unrealistic most days. In working with patients, we often talk about the idea that having any more than three things on our to do list on a signle day is probably unrealistic. So prioritizing the three most important things each day and celebrating their completion can be a powerful shift in perspective. Some days just having the kids are alive and fed is an accomplishment!
5. Recognize You Matter
While its very common and even commendable to improve your mental health for the sake of their kids, but it definitely isn’t the only reason. YOU MATTER TOO! Completely separately from your role as a parent or spouse or employee, you matter just because you are a human existing on this planet with unique perspectives and values and importance.
Recognizing you matter as an individual and building moments of joy just for you is hugely important. And luckily, our relationship with our kids exist in a mutually beneficial arrangement where even purely selfish activities do in fact help your kids too. Love a win-win!
Seek Professional Help
If stress the stress of parenting becomes overwhelming or isn’t responding to the above techniques, it may be time to reaching out to a mental health professional. Therapy can provide support, tools, and strategies tailored to your unique situation, and medication management can treat more serious levels of depression, anxiety, or OCD. Utilizing all the tools available to improve your own mental health is important just for you (cause you’re important all on your own!) but can also be important for your kids.
If you’re in Alabama, Florida, or Idaho, schedule an appointment to talk with one of our professionals to discuss how we can help you improve your mental health using a comprehensive approach to behavioral healthcare.
