Coping With Parenting Stress and Anxiety

When you’re a parent you can experience emotions like no other. You can have some of the highest highs, and some of the lowest lows, and can also be prone to feeling stressed and anxious as you and your child learn to navigate the world in this new role. There can be a lot of anxiety too, whether your baby is sleeping enough, worrying about how much they are eating, as well as what every tiny sound or cry means, as you just want to do all that you can do to protect them. When you have a special needs child then often the anxiety or stress can be more magnified, as you worry about all eyes on you and your baby, as they are doing things different to the norm. 

Parental anxiety can go away with time, as you settle into your role as a parent and as your child settles into knowing what they do and don’t like, and their personality emerges. Besides some common parenting issues, money can be another big source of stress and anxiety. No longer are money worries just about saving some money for college, but keeping a roof over their head and working enough to keep a job. So what can you do to help yourself, if you are finding that the anxieties aren’t going away, and are in fact getting worse? Here are some things to think about.

Talk

It is important to talk more, whether that is to your partner or to friends or family members. Your partner, if you have one, could help you as they see you each day, and if they are aware of how you are feeling, they can be more sensitive to it in the things that they say and do. Talking to other parents can be such a help too, as a lot of the things that you will face anxiety over are normal, and knowing that can help to reduce the worry or panic that you feel. For dads in particular, this can be helpful, as often they can think they are the only ones thinking that way, and they are less likely to talk to others than moms. 

Take Care of Yourself

If you want to feel good and reduce stress and anxiety, then you need to make sure that you are giving yourself a fighting chance. That is why looking after yourself is so important. This can involve getting enough sleep, eating good food to really nourish yourself, as well as exercising. There are also some supplements and vitamins that can help, from St. John’s wort to making sure that you get your every day optimal CBD oil requirement. These things are small things, but they can make a big difference in how you feel, and how you are able to cope with anxieties.

Professional Help

It can be a good idea to consider seeking some professional help from your doctor if you find that your stress and anxiety are making it hard to function as normal each day. A therapist, doctor, or pediatrician could also help with any issues relating to your child if you need to assess what is normal or not. 

*this is a collaborative post

Ed Lives