Stress - the major health issue for parents in our 'culture of comparison'. 111
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Over the last decade, parents have been consistently more likely to report experiencing high levels of stress compared to other adults, according to a report issued by the US Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy.
According to the advisory, 'When stress is severe or prolonged, it can have a harmful effect on the mental health of parents and caregivers, which in turn also affects the well- being of the children they raise. Children of parents with mental health conditions may face heightened risks for symptoms of depression and anxiety and for earlier onset, recurrence, and prolonged functional impairment from mental health conditions.'
It goes on to say “Demands from both work and child caregiving have come at the cost of quality time with one’s partner, sleep and parental leisure time.”
We've talk about ways of reducing stress in the past, but it can't be talked about enough. In this episode we unpack what is said in the Advisory, and give you some helpful tips on how to reduce the pressure felt by us all.
Here is a 10-point list of top tips from this episode:
- Be a "single tasker" and focus on one task at a time to reduce stress and improve focus.
- Identify when you are hearing judgment or fear, and examine whether it is an internal or external stressor.
- Ration your exposure to negative thoughts and negative media to avoid activating stress circuits.
- Lean on your support network and share your feelings with others to avoid feeling isolated.
- Recognize the signs of stress in yourself and have a list of de-stressing activities.
- Plan and organize tasks in advance to reduce stress and increase efficiency.
- Practice cognitive empathy by understanding others' perspectives without getting emotionally involved.
- Cultivate meaningful happiness by reconnecting with experiences, people and goals that matter to you.
- Trust that stressful situations will pass and focus on your capacity to manage them.
- Act as an ambassador for stress management by sharing resources and pushing back against unnecessary stress.
OtoZen — a new driving safety app
Are you worried about your teenager getting distracted behind the wheel?
The OtoZen app helps in real time — not just after something’s gone wrong. It has voice alerts, drive scores, and even safe driving challenges you can set together, it’s the kind of tech that actually helps your teen build better habits.
OtoZen — a new driving safety app
OtoZen helps build better habits in real time with voice alerts, drive scores, and safey challenges.
This episode is sponsored by OtoZen: The brilliant new driving safety app
https://www.otozen.com
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I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping.
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