Shedding Excess Stress

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There are some things a parent really doesn't need to stress about

As parents, we have enough to stress about without adding to it unnecessarily.

While stress is fundamental to our survival, it is also possibly the most dangerous toxin your body faces every day. It can deplete you of the energy needed to live well and get the most out of life. Controlling some of the causes of your stress can also help you cope with the uncontrollable.

Unfortunately, many of us care too much about things that simply don’t matter, and ignore things we actually should focus on.

Women, in particular, tend to overthink things so much that it can become an obsession; worrying about what others think of us, how our hair looks, or whether we’ve done right by our kids. Then, all of sudden, life has become a constant wave of stress, instead of being full of fun and happiness.

Stressing Unnecessarily Can Hurt Us

Excessive stress can cause:

  • – increased muscle tension, resulting in morning stiffness and facial wrinkles
  • – reduction in energy reserves
  • – anxiety
  • – headaches
  • – digestive issues
  • – vision problems
  • – over-eating, under-eating or speed-eating
  • – sleep disturbances

Imagine your stress and worry is like a glass of water. If you hold onto the glass for a minute or so, it probably won’t be a problem. If you hold onto it for an hour, you’re likely to start getting an ache in your arm. But if you hold onto it for a day, or longer, your arm is going to feel numb and paralysed.

If your stress and worry is beginning to hurt you or, worse still, make you feel paralysed and incapable of doing anything, you need to remember to put the glass down! Stop and evaluate what is causing you stress and ask yourself — do I really need to be worrying about this? What is the worst that can happen?

So, at what point do we decide to stop stressing about things that don’t matter, and start caring about the things that do? When will we let go of worry and fear, and embrace love and happiness?

7 Things We Don’t Need to Stress About, But Do
What Other People Think Of You

Worrying about what others think of us stems from the fear that we may be left without friends or intimacy. One way to break this cycle is to consistently live life from a place of other-centeredness, rather than self-centeredness. If you are consistently kind and considerate, then you will spend less energy worrying about what others think of you.

The next time you worry about someone else’s opinion of you, remember that only yours truly matters. You have to live with you for the rest of your life, so wouldn’t it make sense that you should only care about your opinion of yourself?

Stop stressing about what other people think, and start caring about what YOU think of yourself.

How Much Money You Have

Research has shown us over and over again that more money does not equate to more happiness. Studies have shown that money makes a difference when it means living in a home versus having to live on the streets, but beyond basic needs, having more money won’t make us happier.

Stop stressing about how much money you have, and start feeling grateful for all the things you already have.

Your Past Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes in life, big and small. At some point, we have to just forgive ourselves for the past and move on. Dwelling on past experiences will not change them or make us feel any better about where we are now. Remember that every mistake allows you to grow and learn, so look at your mistakes as blessings in disguise.

Stop beating yourself up for your mistakes, and start embracing them as vital life experiences that helped you get to where you are now.

Fitting In

Meeting the status quo and finding our place in this world has been drilled into most of us for so long now that we’ve almost started to believe that fitting in is vital to a happy life. Going along with the crowd, however, almost never results in true happiness. By trying to fit in with certain groups, we sacrifice the beautiful things that make us unique. But why would you want to change who you are as a person for other people? Following your heart and your true passions are far more likely to lead you down a better road.

Stop getting caught up trying to look a certain way to others, or belong to a group. All that matters is that you feel fulfilled by whatever path you choose in life.

Looking Perfect

The perfect body doesn’t exist, so stop trying to mold yours into what other people tell you it must look like. We all have unique physical appearances, and while we can always try to improve your physical fitness, this should have more to do with health rather than looks. Try taking a break from the mirror, or smiling more. As clichéd as it sounds, people like other people who smile, regardless of their physical features.

Give up the mass media image of what it means to have a perfect body, and start embracing yourself as you are now.

Being Perfect

It is OK to let perfection slide. It is OK to leave the breakfast dishes until you get home from work. It is OK to fall asleep with your kids on the weekend and catch up on some much-needed rest instead of cleaning a messy kitchen. If you’re a person who loves a clean slate every morning, you won’t love it, but it won’t mean that everything else must be put on hold until you tidy up. Let it go, it’ll get done, life will go on, and you can still have a great day. 

Stop trying to be a perfect person/parent/homemaker and focus on being grateful for and enjoying your life with your family.

Pleasing Others

People-pleasing might make you some friends, but it won’t make you any good ones. When we bend over backwards to please others, we inevitably attract the wrong kinds of people who just want to take advantage of us.

Learn how to love yourself and listen to your own needs, and keep balanced friendships that are based on more than you trying to please them.

If you need any help with supporting employees to manage stress, or would like to know more about our parent support programs, then please give us a call today on 0402 294 953.  We’d love the opportunity to help!