Your anxiety can run high from time to time depending on what is happening in your life, sometimes are higher than others. Now mix in the emotions and needs of your kids and you have a perfect recipe for what could be the equivalent of the volcano science project that still leaves a reminder of its existence on your kitchen ceiling.But you know how to control your emotions right? How could anyone even know you were feeling stressed when you hide it so well?
Guess what, you don’t hide your anxiety well. Everyone knows what’s up. Especially your kids. They have some crazy spidey-senses about this stuff and will absorb those feelings of anxiety only making yours worse.
So what can you do about your anxiety to actually bring it down a bit instead of just pretending you did?
Eat
I doubt I’m telling you something new here but maybe a little clarification can be a good reminder. Sugars are a tempory fix which can cause a bigger problem.
Sure the Snickers bar sounds like a good idea at the time and lord knows it tastes good (especially when anxiety is running high). In the long run the, sugars are what will cause the crash and that’s not going to help anyone.
Keep up on a basic diet of healthier options and mix in some sweets here and there, you’ll be surprised how good you feel after a few days.
Workout
This one is often easier said than done. Everyone’s favorite excuse is “I just can’t find the time.”
Well, that’s the thing about working out – you have to make time.
It’s a lifestyle change, or at the very least a schedule change, but it is well worth making. Even if you just did 10-minutes to start, get the endorphins going. A little internal chemical movement can be a big step in the right direction.
A little more scientific, WebMD says:
Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. For example, the feeling that follows a run or workout is often described as “euphoric.” That feeling, known as a “runner’s high,” can be accompanied by a positive and energizing outlook on life.
I gotta say my wife has me doing a lot of running (definitely not my choice). I haven’t felt anything I would refer to as “euphoric” but I definitely feel pretty good.
Complete small goals (small victories)
Your to-do list grows every day. I can’t help you much with that challenge. What I can tell you is prioritizing your to-do list will greatly improve your chances of getting done.
Put the ball on a tee to get started. Knockout a few quick and easy things on the list first to gain a sense of accomplishment before moving on to bigger tasks.
Even though the tasks are simple, it will help change your mindset, reduce your anxiety, and get your brain moving in the right direction. All while you’re sipping that first cup of coffee.
Fake it ‘til you make it
This one seems to come into play just as often in parenting as it does in the professional world.
Keep in mind that there is no exact right or wrong way to raise a kid. Also, there isn’t an instruction manual either (not that we would read it anyway, right?).
So that leaves us with only a handful of things we can do. Since nobody is really an expert at it, we are left with trial and error.
It may seem strange to use trial and error on the same thing you would jump in front of a train to protect. However, civilization has been around for about 200,000 years without instructions and we seem to be doing alright.
What does this look like? It looks like parenting! Give yourself permission to parent differently than your friends and what you see on TV (because let’s be honest, tv writers could never come up with thing our kids say).
Try something new whenever you can. A wise person once told me, “why say no when a yes could lead to an adventure?” So go find your next adventure. You just might be surprised how great you feel at the end.
Talk it out (least popular among men)
Alright, I feel like I have to through this one in here more as a Public Service Announcement than anything else.
We (guys in general) are bad talkers when it comes to our emotions, especially feelings of anxiety. As a whole, we are much less touchy-feely. We have this part of our brain that says we can handle things ourselves.
Maybe so, but let’s keep in mind that a quarterbacks passing yards are only as good as his receivers are at catching. So find a good receiver in your life and check in once and while to let them know your good and better yet when your not. Even if they do nothing with the information, you will still feel a million times better just putting it out in the universe.
Put it all together
To sum it all up, anxiety is not a fun. We all encounter it, and it’s not a great way to spend the day. But, there are lots of ways to help counterbalance what’s going on. Put a few of these tips to the test and see what works for you.
Just like there is no wrong way to eat a Reese’s, there is no wrong way to work through what’s going on in your life. So take a trip, go for a run, or swap out the sweets for a week and let us know what works for you.
Mental health is important for all men, dads, brothers, and husbands – if you need more help with anxiety check out the National Institute for Mental Health.