Parental anxiety is a real and often overlooked problem. It can seriously impact a family's well-being and can even lead to child abuse or neglect. Whether it's worrying about your child's health, safety, or future, anxiety is a normal and common part of parenting. But when anxiety makes you unable to function in your day-to-day life, it's time to take action.
There are many reasons why parents may experience anxiety, including financial stress, job insecurity, relationship problems, and parenting challenges. If left unchecked, fear can spiral and become debilitating. Fortunately, there are ways for parents to deal with anxiety. Here are eight steps to take:
1) Identify the Cause
Try to know the cause of your anxiety. Is it a specific event or situation that's causing you to worry? Or is it more general, like feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities of parenting? Once you identify what's causing your anxiety, you can start to figure out how to deal with it.
2) Ground Yourself with the Facts
Once you know what's causing your anxiety, it's important to ground yourself with the facts. Often, our anxiety is based on irrational thoughts and worries. For example, you may be worried about your child getting sick, even though they've been healthy for years.
3) Move and Cope with the Worry
It's time to start dealing with the anxiety itself. One of the best ways to do this is to get moving. Find an activity that helps you relax. This could be as simple as reading, listening to music, or taking a bath. Once you find an activity that enables you to relax, make sure to do it every day.
4) Weigh In with Other Parents
Talk to other parents about their worries and how they cope with anxiety. It can be helpful to hear how others are dealing with similar situations. Share your experiences and seek the insight of other parents who understand what you're going through.
5) Confide In Your Co-Parent
It can be quite helpful to talk to a partner or co-parent about your anxiety. This way, you can share your worries and come up with a plan to deal with them together. Co-parenting can be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety, so make sure to take advantage of it.
6) Accept Your State of Anxiety
One of the most significant steps that parents can take is to accept their anxiety. This doesn't mean that you have to like it, but it does mean that you need to accept that it's a part of your life. Once you accept your anxiety, you can start to deal with it in a more constructive way.
7) Seek Counseling Services
If you're struggling to deal with and cope with your anxiety, it may be time to seek professional help. Counseling services can be extremely helpful in dealing with stress. A counselor can help you understand your concerns and develop coping mechanisms to deal with them.
8) Remember to Breathe
When you're feeling anxious, it's important to remember to breathe. Anxiety can cause you to take shallow breaths, making your anxiety worse. Take a few deep breaths and focus on your breathing. This will help you calm down and recenter on something other than your anxiety.
Conclusion
If you're a parent struggling with anxiety, know that you're not alone. There are plenty of options, resources, and strategies available to help you cope, and you can connect with other people and ask for support when needed.
Looking for online counseling services? Hope Seed Support Center is an organization in Houston, TX that provides service to the community through counseling, nutritional therapy, and many other services. Get in touch with us today!
