As the nation continues to face high-levels of stress, families are susceptible to mounting pressures from finances and work. Raising a family can be rewarding and demanding even in healthy social and economic climates, so stressful times can make things much more challenging.
Most U.S. adults (83%) cite inflation as a significant source of stress, according to APA’s October 2022 Stress in America survey. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, households with children have consistently fared worse than households without children. Adults living with children have reportedopens in new window more difficulty paying daily household expenses, providing adequate food for their family, and have been less secure in their housing payments compared to other households, according to a 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of federal data.
While children are resilient, financial worries can have a devastating long-term impact on the younger members of a household. When times get tough financially, research showsopens in new window, families can enter a downward spiral. Economic difficulties, such as being unable to pay bills or having to move in with relatives, cause parents’ stress to increase. Parents may then take their frustration out on their children or withdraw altogether. Without parental support, children act out or do poorly in school, setting them up for economic trouble in adulthood.
Children model their parents’ behaviors, including those related to managing stress. Parents who deal with stress in unhealthy ways risk passing those behaviors on to their children. Alternatively, parents who cope with stress in healthy ways can not only promote better adjustment and happiness for themselves but also promote the formation of critically important habits and skills in children.
Parents know that changing a child’s behavior, let alone their own, can be challenging. By taking small, manageable steps to a healthier lifestyle, families can work toward meeting their goals to be psychologically and physically fit.
APA offers these tips to get you and your family started down a healthy path:
Evaluate your lifestyle. As a parent, it’s important to model healthy behaviors for your children. Children are more likely to lead a healthy lifestyle and less likely to associate stress with unhealthy behaviors if the whole family practices healthy living and good stress management techniques. So, ask yourself―How do I respond to stress? Do I tend to overeat or engage in other unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and drinking alcohol, when I feel stressed? In what ways could my stress coping skills be improved?
Talk about it. If you notice that your children are looking worried or stressed, ask them what’s on their minds. Having regular conversations can help a family work together to better understand and address any stressors children are experiencing. Low levels of parental communication have been associated with poor decision making among children and teensopens in new window. Talking to your children and promoting open communication and problem solving is just as important as eating well and getting enough exercise and sleep.
Create a healthy environment. Your home, workspace, and even social environment can influence your behaviors. Altering your environment can help alleviate stress. A study by researchers at the University of Connecticut, for example, found that in times of extreme stress, people leaned on cleaning because it gave them a sense of controlopens in new window. Look around your home and even your car and ask yourself, does this space feel clear and relaxing? Clearing up your home space for the family is something you and your children can control, and it teaches children to focus on those things they can control when feeling stressed.
Focus on yourself. The correlation between health, obesity, and unhealthy choices is strong. When you and your family are experiencing stress, make a conscious decision to take care of yourselves. Get adequate doses of nutrients, physical activity, and sleep. When you feel overwhelmed it is easy sometimes to fall into cycles such as eating fast food, plugging into sedentary electronic activities like playing video games or watching TV, or not getting enough sleep. Research shows that children who are sleep-deficient are more likely to have behavioral problemsopens in new window. Parents have an extraordinary amount of influence on their children’s food choicesopens in new window. A healthy dinner followed by an activity with your family, such as walking, bike riding, playing catch, or a board game, and topped off with a good night’s sleep can do a lot to manage or lessen the negative effects of stress.
Change one habit at a time. You may aspire for your family to make multiple important changes at once such as eating healthier foods, being more physically active, getting a better night’s sleep, or spending more time together. However, if you are already overextended from juggling many different responsibilities, doing all of this at once can feel overwhelming. Changing behaviors usually takes time. By starting with changing one behavior, you and your family are more likely to experience success, which can then encourage your family to tackle other challenges and to continue making additional healthy changes.
If you or a family member continues to struggle with changing unhealthy behaviors or feels overwhelmed by stress, consider seeking help from a health professional, such as a psychologist. Psychologists are licensed and trained to help you develop strategies to manage stress effectively and make behavioral changes to help improve your overall health.
