By: Bridgette Wilson
Real life is challenging at any age. In today’s culture, it is so astonishing to learn that even children are having to deal with some level of stress. According to a national survey, as early as school age, children are showing signs of stress, but parents don’t always see it. Children learn their behaviors and habits, good or bad, by watching the adults around them. If we don’t handle things in a healthy way, our children will adopt the same unhealthy habits.
In my daily life, I had to learn how to change my lack of stress management. I am a true planner at heart. I often find myself trying to plan and have a strategy for every aspect of my life. However, some situations just don’t fit into a nice neat schedule. When my best intended plans fail to meet my great expectations, I tend to overanalyze to the point of increased stress and anxiety. Although at the end of day I may have conquered most of my “to do” list, it seldom stops my mind from racing through the notes and reminders that still reside on my iPhone.
After many sleepless nights, which is a common sign of stress, I finally realized I can’t always plan everything with definite certainty. If I wanted to be a positive example for my daughter, I had to take the first step to incorporate a method for change and learn some tips on dealing with stress.
- Make gradual changes: Change takes time; small changes equal big results
- Consistently move forward: Create a plan, but be flexible to modify as needed.
- Remove yourself from negativity: Negative thoughts/negative people = Doubt and self-defeat
Ironically, stress has been a good teacher for me. I have learned more about myself and how to find my balance during the most stressful moments of my life. When I am thrown off balance by the daily curve ball, adopting positive self-talk has been the key to my re-alignment. Every night I remember to cite at least one positive thought before laying my head on the pillow. I tell myself that tomorrow is a fresh start, so be grateful for today and embrace the possibilities of making tomorrow even better than today.
To read more about stress and how to manage life better, check out:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml
To read more about how stress affects children, check out:
http://www.webmd.com/news/breaking-news/kids-and-stress/20150827/stress-survey