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It is natural to feel anxious a lot of times as a parent. But is parental anxiety taking over your life, becoming an anxiety disorder? You need to relax – check out 7 tips on how you can do this.
Are you all the time thinking about your kids? Are you worrying too much about your kids and their well-being? Do you get exhausted unnecessarily? Do you get scared without any reason? Do you spend sleepless night because of the fear? Do you get nightmares every other day? Then you may have anxiety disorder.
Wait let’s get to know more about it.
Do you also have these fears – What if my baby falls? What if my baby chokes? What if my boy drowns while learning swimming? What if my girl fails in the exam? These and many ‘what if’s’ could be making your life miserable, and they are enough to make you anxious. There isn’t any answer to all these ‘If’s’ as all these are just thoughts. Such unrealistic fears are an indication that you have an anxiety disorder.
What’s this? Anxiety. Maybe even an anxiety disorder.
There are many variations of anxiety disorder, and anyone can have it. It’s a habit of continuous worrying. When kids are younger the worries are different. When they grow up, there will be a different set of worries.
A mother’s anxiety may affect children and the whole family in many ways. When you have kids there will be challenges, problems at every stage. Being a mother you care for your children and it’s natural to have worries, but don’t let the worries take you over. If you have many such unnecessary thoughts and fears then it’s best to talk to your doctor about this. A mother should be healthy and fit to lead a happy family.
Here’s bringing you some methods I have used to tackle anxiety disorder.
If you have small kids then ask your family and friends to babysit for some time. If you are a mother of older kids, then take help from grandparents, immediate family to address kids’ issues.
Sometimes overloading with to-do’s can be the reason behind your stress, fear, anxiety disorder. Hire help for doing your household chores to reduce your burden; it will give you some free time to relax.
It’s the best way to share your concerns with someone who cares for you. You can select anyone to discuss your concerns, like a friend, relative, fellow mommy, parents, husband. They may relate to your situation, and help you find a solution to your problems.
Many times a problem which is big for you is a really simple thing for someone else. By knowing their perspective you might also feel tension free. Sharing of problems helps to feel light.
Meditation allows you to allows you to slow down and helps to achieve mindfulness. if you practice meditation daily, it helps to overcome anxiety, and reduces tension in your body. Practice meditation daily. Spend a few minutes to meditate and you will see the difference in a few days. Unnecessary fears and worries will vanish with the regular practice of meditation.
Being anxious all time may be the reason behind your exhaustion. So try to be positive as much as possible. Don’t lose your hope. Tell yourself that this shall also pass soon.
Acceptance is the key to happiness, so accept the facts coming in your way. Anxiety will definitely leave you, if you change your attitude.
If you are checking your phone every other minute, if every call or message from your kid’s school or friends scares you, then it’s an alarming situation. You are thinking too much. How do you stop this? It’s simple. Detach yourself from the phone, or similar gadget immediately.
Checking your gadgets always might be the reason for your panic, fear, and anxiety. It keeps you over-connected and over-occupied all time. Reduce use of these gadgets and try to live in present, spending time in pursuing your hobbies or reading books.
Exercise is the best stress buster, reduces tension and it elevates mood.
However busy you are, make sure to take out half an hour in a day for yourself. Select any physical activity as per your convenience like walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, yoga, zumba, etc. If you have small kids at home, start with a simple exercise you can do at home while looking after your baby.
Include a habit of listening to music in your daily routine. Switch on your favourite or soothing music and then do your household chores. Music has a positive effect on your mind and body. It helps to relax, and relieves your stress and anxiety. Music also helps you to feel more energetic.
Stop worrying and take a step towards a happier you, and anxiety will definitely leave you. I wish you all the best for your journey to happiness.
A version of this was first published here.
Image source: unsplash
A Stay-at-home mom who loves to celebrate anything with a sip of coffee,
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