Being a parent is a very wonderful experience, you get to grow and build a thriving family and it is a pretty rewarding journey. But to be honest, parenting is also filled with many tough challenges and of course, a lot of stress.
I mean, we've all been there as a parent- worrying about many things like thinking about finances, balancing your work and family, dealing with any relationship strains, and let's not forget, the daily demands of raising your family.It's no surprise that you as a parent may find yourself feeling overwhelmed at times and can be too much at some point.
Unfortunately, chronic stress affects your physical and mental health. The thing is, it can have a wide range of effects, causing different health issues and even disrupting relationships with your precious loved ones.
So what to do? I found you need to have relief options that are realistic and that you can do.
Since having kids, I've used short meditations and breathing routines that are between 5 and 10 minutes long. You can do those most places and they provide support. Other natural remedies like CBDA and magnesium are also great.
So, in this article, let's talk about the empowering solutions as well as natural remedies that can help you in managing stress more effectively as a responsible parent. The tips I'll discuss here can help you tackle whatever is causing stress on your parenting journey and so you can better enjoy a healthier and happier family life.
Article Highlight
- Parenting is really stressful, there's no doubt about that, but make sure to remember that you're not alone.
- There are many effective and simple solutions like stress management techniques to help you cope with stress for stepping up with parenting responsibilities. These include meditation and breathing routines that can be short and done almost anywhere.
- Plus there's this natural compound called CBDA that's showing promise to help you deal with stressful situations. Just make sure you talk to a healthcare professional before adding it to your wellness routine.
Understanding Parental Stress
Now, let's dig more on the topic - parental stress.
Stress, both acute stress and chronic stress is something many of us parents go through, and it can come from different various sources. You know what I'm talking about - worrying about finances because raising a family can be quite expensive. Then you need to balance work and family life, building your own career while you build your family. Plus, you might also have to deal with relationship strains, especially when you and your partner in life disagree on parenting styles or any other issues.
And let's not forget about dealing with your child's growing needs and behavior or developmental concerns and health problems if there's any, which can be a significant source of stress for you as a parent. Add to that worrying about your child's health, your own health, and sometimes you might feel isolated or unsupported, and it's no wonder many parents feel overwhelmed.
The thing is, parental stress can affect you in more ways than one.
Excess parental stress affects: Chronic vs acute stress
Our bodies are designed to deal with acute stress, but chronic stress over long periods can lead to significant health problems.
So you may be wondering what to look for? What are the signs?
You might find yourself feeling more irritable, anxious, or even experience depression.
Physically, stress can manifest as muscle tension which can lead to headache or even chest pain, high blood pressure, trouble sleeping, fatigue, or digestive issues.
Yale Medicine has a pretty good list of chronic stress symptoms:
- Increased use of alcohol or other drugs to help cope with the symptoms
- Fatigue and low energy
- Poor sleep
- Your emotional responses to others deteriorates
- Lack of focus and cloudy thinking
- Change in appetite
Lastly, it might even cause strain to your relationships with your partners, friends, or family members.
Parental stress and sleep
I wanted to carve out a section on sleep and stress and anxiety as a parent because it is so important.
The connection between poor sleep causing stress and stress causing poor sleep is a well known loop.
With the exception of early infancy and needing to wake up to feed young ones in the middle of the night, it is extremely critical to get your children on healthy sleep cycles so you too can be have restorative sleep.
Interventions in the stress to sleep cycle is critical to improving long term health and family relationships.
Below we outline some of the ways parents can intervene in the stress cycle to provide support not just for you but your loved ones as well.
What I'm trying to say to you is that it is important for you to recognize and address your stressors to promote the well-being of both yourself and your family. Because, let's be honest, at the end of the day, we all want to enjoy parenting and family life to the fullest, right?
Natural Remedies for Stress Management
We all deal with stress in our lives, so always remember you are not alone. Sometimes being a parent can feel overwhelming and acute stress can go out of hand turning to chronic stress.
While it's crucial to seek counseling from a professional counselor for severe stress or mental health problems, there are also natural remedies and lifestyle changes, working as relaxation techniques that you can do to prevent stress more effectively and efficiently.
Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness or meditation are practices that work like magic which can help reduce stress, improve focus, and promote emotional well-being.
By practicing regularly this stress management training, you can develop better self-awareness and a more balanced approach to whatever comes your way as a parent.
There are many great meditation apps out there like Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer. These apps offer guided meditation sessions, mindfulness exercises, and other helpful tools so you can manage stress in your time and place.
You don't need to start big, try setting aside a few minutes each day for meditation or mindfulness exercises. You can even practice mindful deep breathing, eating, or walking to bring more awareness to your daily activities.
Tip: Consistency is everything, start only what you will actually be able to do on a daily basis. For me, I do 5 to 10 minute meditations because I can do one of those every day consistently whereas a 30 minute would be difficult given a hectic schedule.
A consistent 5 to 10 minutes has MAJOR effects over time, dont underestimate it!
Exercise and Physical Activity
Did you know that regular exercise can also improve your stress response? It releases endorphins, improves sleep, and increases self-confidence. Plus, it can provide you with a healthy outlet for releasing any pent-up energy and tension you might never have thought you have.
If human energy is like gas, the more you exercise the the bigger you gas tank gets!
So what exercise can a parent do on a busy schedule?
Walk. Walk around the block a couple times, walk up the stairs.
Seriously, there are massive improvements to be had by just walking. If you are simply trying to prevent stress and basic health problems, you can get a lot of benefit by just walking.
Also, you can try different activities like yoga, tai chi, swimming, walking, or dancing. These activities are simple forms of exercise which can help you manage stress and improve your overall health.
Choose physical activities that you enjoy the most and can easily incorporate into your everyday routine.
Healthy Diet and Nutrition
Eating a balanced diet is crucial for stabilizing your feelings and mood. Healthy diet also helps in reducing anxiety, improving your mental health, and reducing emotional symptoms of stress.
In fact, when your body lacks essential nutrients, it can make stress worse and it affects your general well-being.
Pro tip: include foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and B vitamins in your diet. You can try various nutritious foods like berries, fatty fish, nuts, and leafy greens to name a few. Be mindful also of your caffeine and sugar intake, as they can contribute to more stress and anxiety.
Lastly, focus on whole, unprocessed foods, and remember to always stay hydrated throughout the day.
Exploring CBDA's Potential in Stress Relief
Aside from the relaxation techniques, there are many natural plant compounds cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA that have amazing stress relief benefits.
This natural remedy comes from raw cannabis plants that have been purified through gentle processes that dont change the molecular structure. Just so you know, CBDA is actually the precursor to the well-known CBD.
In fact, we now know that CBDA has greater absorption than CBD, between 500% and 1000% better.
Lately, there's been a lot of new research around CBDA and its therapeutic effects, which many customers are now finding to be beneficial to stressed out parents, so let's dive in and see what it's all about!
The Endocannabinoid System and CBDA
Your body has this thing called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is responsible for regulating a bunch of important processes in your body like regulating mood, stress, and anxiety.
CBDA works its magic by interacting with the ECS, specifically it interacts with the natural endocannabinoid receptors and other enzymes that break down anandamide. Anandamide is a natural endocannabinoid that makes you feel happy and content, so meaning, more anandamide = more good vibes!
CBDA and Stress Relief
Novel research on CBDA is still quite new in the wellness industry, but multiple early studies are showing pretty promising results when it comes to reducing anxiety and stress. Researchers even found that CBDA has a stronger connection to the serotonin receptor 5-HT1A than CBD, which could be why it seems to have more potent calming effects.
Choosing the Right CBDA Products
As the CBDA market keeps growing by the day, it's super important for you to pick high-quality products from trustworthy brands. Make sure you look for CBDA products that have been tested by a third party for purity and potency.
For example, Natural Dos has third party testing on all final products to cover the 5 critical testing parameters:
- Potency: The amount and kind of cannabinoids in the product.
- Pesticides: Make sure there are no pesticides present.
- Heavy Metals: Validate no heavy metals are present.
- Chemicals: Check that no harmful residual solvents or chemicals are present.
- Microbials: Ensure no growth of potentially harmful microbials are present.
And don't forget to go with companies that are open about their manufacturing processes and ingredients, so you know they can be a reputable source.
Potential Side Effects and Interactions
CBDA is usually considered safe and easy to tolerate for most people, but it's still good to know about any possible side effects or interactions with other meds.
Some people might experience dizziness, drowsiness, or an upset stomach, which are uncommon side effects that may occur at higher CBDA doses. If you're taking prescription medications, you should definitely check in with a healthcare provider before adding any CBDA products to your wellness routine.
Conclusion
Parenting can be a roller coaster of feelings and emotions. It's completely normal for you to experience stress from time to time.But always remember, you're not alone in this journey, and there are plenty of natural solutions and remedies to help you manage stress so you can be the best parent you are meant to be. Remember, a healthier and happier you means a healthier and happier family life.
So, take some time for self-care, adding in your regime some relaxation techniques and even CBDA and reach out to healthcare professionals when needed.