How to deal with family stress in 2021
This article is about dealing with family stress in 2021.
Family health is about managing stress, not only does stress affect you on a personal level but it is essential part of child growth and development.
I’ll repeat that again.
Stress is an essential part of child growth and development.
But what kind of stress?
Well let’s break it down.
Are you someone who gets super stressed?
Do you chatter your teeth, get fidgety or stress walk?
Even when I say the word “stress” does it stress you out?
Stressed parents = stressed family.
Right now, it’s very important to make sure we have the right levels of stress and the right type of stress.
Responding to family stress
The way kids respond to their parents’ levels of stress is crucial for their development.
To differentiate between the family stress of you adding to the swear jar because you kicked your toe or because you missed a payment on your mortgage…
…two quite different things!
But is it all dangerous?
Stress is a normal physiological response. It’s one that can either cause you to hide away for protection OR it can cause you to stay focused, energetic and alert.
The stress response helps us rise to meet the challenges!
But beyond certain point, stress starts damaging your family health. It affects your mood, your productivity and your relationships.
So how do we know if stress is something that is going to push us out of your comfort zone for good?
To understand if it will help of hinder the individual.
Will family stress help or hinder?
There are a few questions you can ask yourself about family stress;
- Is it short-lived?
- Is it infrequent?
- Does it inspire you to start action?
- Will it help you build to be better than before?
Think of something in your day to day.
Is it short-lived? Yes.
Is it infrequent? Yes.
Does it inspire you? I hope so!
Will it help you build to be better than before? Yes
So, we have good stress.
But what is bad stress?
It’s essentially the opposite.
- Lasts a long time
- Chronic
- Negative, depressing
- Breaks you down and leaves you worse off than before.
Now think of something in your life that resonates with these markers.
Having a bad relationship with family stress leads to bad outcomes.
But how do we find that sweet spot?
And is it good for me?
That’s the real question.
Throughout your life you have gone through feelings of hardship, heartbreak, mindfulness and maturity.
Past experiences shape future actions.
So how are you going to take what lessons you learned from a child, teenager and adult into the person that you are going to be in 2021.
To be a role model to those for the future. An article that helps kids become more comfortable in the kitchen follows these guidelines about putting them in what can be perceived as a stressful environment, all for a positive change.
I want you to think over this for today, look at the aspects in your life where there is family stress, write how you feel about them and if there are any areas in your life you should stress less and also you could actually stress more!
