Being a parent is a big job; therefore it’s okay to get overwhelmed. There is no upper limit on what is acceptable when it comes to feelings of anxiety and all that encompasses; if you feel it, it’s valid.
Tips for Overwhelmed Parents
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t address it, and there are so many tips and tricks out there that help overwhelmed parents get back on their feet and find ways to cope with the stress. This guide explores the top concepts.
Time Off
The parent guilt is real, but you are allowed a day or even a night off here and there. Children are your world, and that is relevant, but do you know that it is beneficial for them as well to have a night away from their primary caregivers? It builds trust, and attachment and allows them to explore their lives in a different setting to grow consistency and relationships elsewhere.
Medication
Asking for help from a medical practitioner is nothing to feel shame over. Mental health and well-being are a top priority and will be taken seriously. Asking for help is also not a failure, and sometimes medication is a temporary solution that will make you feel better. You wouldn’t ignore a broken leg, so treat your brain with the same respect.
If you don’t feel comfortable with traditional medication routes, there are lots of herbal alternatives that come highly recommended. These remedies, like Kratom IQ, for example, have high success rates in ameliorating the symptoms of anxiety and stress and have the advantage of being completely natural.
Stay Real
If you have work, kids, and a family home to juggle there is no real surprise when feelings of overwhelm take hold. However, staying real is a great way to combat this.
Parents put such high levels of expectation on themselves and what they think they should be achieving that they forget to celebrate what they actually achieve. Every day is a victory, so even if you did just one load of washing, congratulations.
If it gets to 10 PM and there is still a pile of washing up, just leave it alone. Your day did not fail because you didn’t wash a pot. Remind yourself each night before you go to sleep what the positive parts of the day felt like and what you managed to accomplish individually and all together as a unit.
Core Memories are Everything
Core memories are the ones you look back on forever. They shape who we are, where we end up, and how we parent when our turn comes around. These are the milestone moments, the ones worth smiling over. Therefore, a life that doesn’t encourage that is a life that is lacking. Perfection is great, but it isn’t reality.
You don’t want to look back on your time when the children were small and feel a sense of grief over what you didn’t do. So, take baby steps. Instead of focusing on the mess that’s being made, focus on the fun that you’re having instead. Don’t sweat it that you forgot the diaper bag; the day out is not lost and there is bound to be a store nearby. Spending core time building a relationship, playing games, drawing pictures, and reading books are all things to strive for and they are the moments to find peace in.
There will always be time to do housework, but your kids won’t remember a messy house. They will remember what you did.
Parents are one of the most likely groups of people to become overwhelmed. Working around kids is hard, and so is staying on top of a routine and running a household alongside this. It’s easy to feel the pressure, but there are ways to address it and find peace in the madness too.
