4 Tips to Overcome Parental Anxiety

Anxiety is a common feeling for parents, especially during the early years of parenting. There are a number of common causes of parental anxiety, such as fears for the child's safety, worries about their growth, or feelings of insufficiency. Dealing with stress and anxiety in parenting can be difficult, but there are a number of tips that can help.

What are the common causes?

There are a number of common causes of parental anxiety. One of the most common is safety concerns. Parents often worry about their children's safety when they are not with them, and this can cause a great deal of anxiety. Another common cause of anxiety is the fear of not being able to care for a child properly. Worrying about their growth can also be a cause of parental anxiety. Many parents feel a great deal of pressure to ensure that their children have the best possible start in life. Finally, parenting can be a very stressful experience for many parents, which can lead to anxiety. Especially when thinking about the early months of post-partum anxiety that can be caused by lack of sleep, the feeling of constantly being on call. All of these are normal experiences that almost all parents go through, and there are ways to deal with them.

How to Deal with Stress and Anxiety in Parenting

1. Talk about your feelings.

One of the best ways to deal with anxiety is to talk about it. Talk to your partner, friends, or a therapist about the things that are causing you anxiety. This will help you to identify the sources of your anxiety, and to develop strategies for dealing with them.

2. Take care of yourself.

It is important to take care of yourself when you are dealing with anxiety. Make sure that you are getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising. This will help to reduce the levels of stress that you are feeling, and it will also help you to feel more capable of dealing with the anxiety that you are experiencing. When we take good care our selves we often don't internalize as much stress if... we don't let our worry for the child(ren) takeover every waking moment.

3. Talk to your child(ren).

One of the best ways to reduce parental anxiety is to talk to your child(ren). Not only will this give them something good (and fun) from watching TV but it teaches them how they need... to talk about what they are feeling and thinking at an early age. This sets the groundwork for healthy communication habits as they get older.

4. Find outside interests & hobbies

When we get wrapped up solely in our roles as a "parent" it is easy to see everything else in life as having lesser importance or meaning. But if we can find things that bring us joy outside of our parenting role (does not have to be children related) then we are less likely to be as hard on ourselves and more apt to find joy in our everyday lives; not just the special occasions!

Anxiety is a normal experience for most parents, and there are ways to deal with it. By talking about your feelings, taking care of yourself, and talking to your child(ren), you can reduce the amount of parental anxiety that you experience. Finding outside interests and hobbies can also help to reduce parental anxiety. Finding some joy in those little things that fill our days it helps us to avoid worrying so much about the things we may find troubling in life... like raising children... haha!