Managing Stress for the Family

This fall may present some interesting challenges for you and your family. With new routines, going back to school or learning from home, along with the challenges of the past few months, your family might be feeling a little stressed! Now is the perfect time to check on your family and work on ways you can manage stress together. Below are a few ideas to help you find a place to get started with your stress management.

Be mindful of stressors and reactions 

Sometimes we might not even realize that certain things stress us out. It might not even be clear that you are getting stressed out! Taking some time to really be mindful of how you are feeling and reacting to certain situations is an important step. You can’t manage stress if you don’t recognize it. Don’t be afraid to ask your family for their input; oftentimes others close to us notice our stress cues before we do! Once you and your family recognize what different factors stress each individual and how everyone reacts to stress, you can start working on managing that stress. 

Set your day up for success

Sometimes little changes in your day can make a huge difference! Taking steps to set you and your family up for success during the day can help avoid little stressors and overall make the day run more smoothly. For example, setting a schedule and routine for the day. This is especially helpful if your kids are learning from home! Having a schedule for the day can help keep you on track and make the days’ tasks feel less overwhelming! Something I like to do is get organized before the week starts. Doing this helps you start the week with a clean slate and feeling refreshed. 

Accept your feelings and emotions 

It’s okay to feel stressed or overwhelmed! Reminding yourself and your family that it is okay to feel these emotions can help you better manage them. Once you accept how you are feeling, you can figure out what is causing that feeling and how you can deal with this. Teaching your family how to recognize and deal with stress will make managing it is a family much easier!

Do relaxing, meaningful activities together 

Make time to do things as a family that everyone enjoys! It can be easy to forget to make time for family activities, I mean you already live together and see each other everyday, right!? But setting aside time to do something fun and relaxing is a great way to relieve some stress. Let’s be real, the extra time together at the start of quarantine was great but now everyone is getting on each others nerves! Doing something fun together is a great way to let go of some of those feelings!

Sleep!

I’m sure you’ve heard this countless times already but it’s important: get enough sleep! Getting enough sleep and keeping a healthy sleep schedule can greatly reduce feelings of stress and help you manage stressful situations. Being well-rested gives you the energy both physically and mentally to deal with stress that comes up throughout the day. You and your family can help keep each other accountable when it comes to sticking to a good sleep schedule. 

Focus on what you can control 

Don’t waste time and energy on things outside of your control. It can be so easy to get caught up in negative things that are happening. But using your energy to worry and stress about these things doesn’t do anyone any good. Focus on what you can control and what positive actions you can take each day.  Remember to take care of yourself during stressful times! Making the extra effort to help you family members and yourself will have a huge impact on the overall stress in the family. Share some of the ways your family has been managing your stress in the comments below!

Sources

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/strategies_to_cope_with_family_stress https://www.apa.org/topics/managing-stress-healthy-family