Family Stress

 Family stress refers to an imbalance between the demands facing a family and the ability of that family to handle the demands. Because of family stress arguments, fighting, and other poor communication skills can occur. Family stress can cause fatigue, health problems, and general exhaustion because of busy schedules. Confusion, especially in children about relationships with other family members. Certain family members may become more dependent on food, alcohol, and other substances to help them handle the stress around them. I know personally, I deal with stressors with humor. My family and fiance dislike how I do that because it seems as if it doesn’t matter to me. I do really care about the situation and half the time I don’t do it on purpose. I just automatically will joke about the matter to deal with the stress and make light of the situation. Stressors in a family could be trying to balance work and parenting, caring for a new baby while trying to maintain previous responsibilities, relationship conflict, the time and scheduling burden, activities, worrying about your child’s safety in public settings, social isolation, children’s education, child care, or death or illness of a loved one. There are many ways a family can be under stress. There are also many ways to overcome family stress. You can be mindful of those stressors and either figure out a way to overcome them as a family or avoid them. Take time to do something that is meaningful, relaxing, and fun for you and your family. Doing this allows your family to come together in a positive way. It doesn’t mean you have to do something expensive every time. You can have family game night, walks, and even family prayer. Another way to overcome stress is to practice deep breathing and mindfulness. Sitting and breathing for a minute or so helps keep your mind focused on something you can control, and it helps to quiet your mind and help you relax. Develop or use a support system. People who will be there for you and those who you can trust. Use your support system to talk about your feelings and help you. That support system could be friends, family, and even religious leaders. If there is no one around you, getting professional help is also a way to overcome family stress. If you are feeling overwhelmed, seek assistance from an outside source such as your primary care provider or a mental health professional. There are also negative ways to go through family stress. One way would be a spouse talking to a friend and complaining about the other spouse. The friend most likely will jump on, instead of talking through it with her. In class, we compared complaining to the adult version of crying, which I find to be very true. The spouse should be talking to their partner rather than complaining to the friend-making things much worse for their relationship. Arguing is also a very negative way to overcome stress. Many times when partners try to talk something through it can easily turn into arguing. Couples can become defensive and feel attacked when a certain subject is brought up. It is extremely important to stay calm and be patient with each other so you can come to a solution. In class, we learned about how important it is to have a routine. Having a routine can create a sense of focus and drive and also something to look forward to because that routine should be meaningful family time. I think this is a great way to overcome family stress as a family.