Carol Denbow is a ScottCounseling contributing author. Her article concentrates on the understanding and contributing factors that lead to and reduce stress in parenting. Mental health experts often note the importance of spending time to discover what “triggers” our levels of stress.
They also site the importance of becoming solution-ortineted in finding stress reduction strategies that make our parenting lives more enjoyable. This article focuses on some of those triggers and strategies that may reduce your stress.
Understanding and Relieving Parental Stress
While parenting is a joyful, noble, and fulfilling experience, it can also bring stressful challenges into your daily life. Recent studies have shown that parents have significantly higher levels of stress and depression than people without children.
Surprisingly, those parents who showed more symptoms of stress and depression were parents of adult children still living at home, parents of adult children living away from home, and parents who do not have custody of their minor children. Those who showed the least stress and depression symptoms were parents living with their minor biological children, their minor adopted children, and those parents living with their minor stepchildren.
It had originally been assumed that the latter parental groups would have experienced the greater amount 
of stress. Single parents showed greater levels of stress and depression than married parents. It had also been assumed, and has now been found to be untrue, that women would be the more likely candidate for stress and depression. It seems, however, men and women are equally affected by stress and depression in parenthood. Even after the children had moved out of the house, these symptoms remained. This may be because no matter how old their children are, parents still worry about them. The emotional toll of being a parent can be high.
Stress does not automatically come from things that happen to you, it comes from how
you choose to respond to things that happen to you. If we can’t control the situation
around us, we can learn to deal with it in a way that makes it less stressful.
Parents need to take extra care of their emotional and physical needs in order to reduce
stress. Unfortunately, people often turn to unhealthy methods of relieving their stress.
Alcohol, drugs, or smoking seem to be the most common method to relieve tension.
Incorporating positive and healthy stress-relieving techniques into your daily routine can
help you maintain a better emotional balance and make you a better parent.
Distracting our stressful thoughts can provide quick relief and doing activities we enjoy
provides a good outlet for our stress.
There are many healthy ways to cope with and reduce physical and mental stress. Exercise, stretching, hobbies, yoga, Tai Chi, and even playing with your pet are all good physical coping methods. Meditation, music, and breathing exorcizes are wonderful mental outlets for our stress. Finding healthy
avenues of relief to replace the bad ones will give you more energy and stamina, and will improve your overall outlook on life.
While quick fixes and certain activities may provide temporary relief from our dailystressors, they won’t resolve the problem, which may have initiated the stress. Searchout the cause and make a personal effort to change what you can to improve your situation and reduce future stress. It is important to openly discuss the issues causing your stress with your family. Once they are aware of your feelings, it may be easier for them to help you cope.
Carol Denbow www.booksbydenbow.weebly.com
Can you help me find my adult children?
Hi Mary:
Please contact me through the Parenting Counselor section of ScottCounseling.
Scott