Parenthood is undoubtedly challenging, and it’s understandable that some parents might resort to less-than-ideal coping mechanisms under pressure. While these behaviors are often unintentional, it’s important to recognize and address them. This article examines a range of common, yet somewhat unhealthy, ways parents manage stress, offering insights into how these habits can be improved.
Vent to Friends or Family
Talking things out with friends or family can be a major stress reliever for overwhelmed parents. Sharing their worries and getting advice or just a friendly ear can make a big difference. It’s good practice for parents to talk about their feelings and not keep everything inside, but they shouldn’t go overboard with this, as it might overwhelm the person they are venting to.
Ignore Self-Care
Self-care becomes a low priority, as stressed parents often feel they don’t have the time or right to focus on themselves. To avoid this, UNICEF recommends taking a few minutes at a time throughout the day instead of waiting for one big moment or a special occasion.
Overspend
To momentarily feel better, some parents may engage in retail therapy. WebMD defines retail therapy as the act of shopping for the main purpose of making yourself feel better. A word of advice: be careful with spending money to feel better. It’s better to find other ways to cope with stress that don’t cost a lot.
Neglect Sleep
When parents are stressed, they often neglect their sleep. They stay up late to finish tasks or can’t sleep because they’re worried. This lack of sleep can make them feel even worse, hurting their health. Lack of sleep has so many negative consequences, including shortening your life.
Have Mood Swings
Mood swings in stressed parents can show up as sudden changes in feelings, like getting angry quickly or becoming sad easily. To control these swings, parents should recognize the signs and find healthy ways to deal with emotions, like talking to someone or doing relaxing activities.
Rely on Technology
Parents and children are spending more time looking at screens. This can be a problem because it’s used as a way to relax and escape stress. But too much screen time can be bad, especially for young children. There are many other ways to relax without always using gadgets and screens.
Overeat or Undereat
When stressed, some parents eat too much or not enough. They might eat a lot of comfort food or lose their appetite because of anxiety. These bad eating habits can even get passed on to the kids, who may end up with a problematic relationship with food for life.
Avoid Confrontation
Avoiding tough conversations is something stressed parents might do. They keep their problems to themselves, which can make the stress worse. It’s better to talk about problems and try to solve them instead of avoiding them. This can help reduce stress and improve relationships.
Become Overly Organized
Being too organized might seem good, but it can be a problem. Some parents try to control everything to feel less stressed. But this can make them too focused on planning and lists, and they might miss enjoying the moment. It’s good to be organized, but it’s also important to relax and not worry about controlling everything.
Seek Solitude
Sometimes, all a parent needs is a quiet moment to themselves to breathe and regather their thoughts. This can really help stressed parents who are always surrounded by kids. It’s nice to find a quiet spot to just breathe and calm down, but it’s important to not become too overly dependent on this coping mechanism to the point of neglect.
Overthink Situations
Parents often find themselves overanalyzing situations, worrying about what has happened or what might happen next. This can make them feel even more stressed and upset. Parents should try to relax and not worry about everything so much. In many cases, everything works out, no matter how bad it gets.
Skip Meals
Stressed parents might skip meals, either because they’re too busy or too overwhelmed to eat. According to Eating Well, missing meals has many negative effects, including lowering metabolism, eating disorders, and weight gain. You need to remember to eat properly, even when you are really busy or feeling stressed.
Increase Caffeine Intake
To cope with fatigue, parents under stress often consume more caffeine, hoping to stay alert and energetic. Business Insider reports that parents are more likely to have caffeine with their meals than people without kids. While a little caffeine is fine, too much can cause dependency issues and other health issues.
Neglect Social Life
Neglecting social life can happen when parents are stressed. They might stop seeing friends or doing fun activities. This ends up making them feel lonely and more stressed because spending time with friends and doing activities you enjoy is key to mental health.
Exercise Excessively or Not at All
Exercise habits can swing from one extreme to another, with parents either using it as a stress outlet or neglecting it entirely. Exercise is good for managing stress, but it needs to be balanced. Too much can be as harmful as too little. Finding a regular, enjoyable exercise routine can help parents handle stress better, keeping them healthy both physically and mentally.
Procrastinate
Procrastination is when parents delay doing things until the last moment, which can make stress worse. This habit can harm their work and mental health, creating more stress. To break the cycle, set realistic goals, manage time well, and tackle tasks bit by bit.
Set Unrealistic Expectations
Under stress, parents might set impossibly high standards for themselves, leading to further feelings of inadequacy and overwhelm. Setting unrealistic expectations means parents often try to be perfect. This can make them feel like they’re never doing enough, harming their self-esteem. Recognizing that it’s okay not to be perfect can help reduce stress and make parenting more enjoyable.