Family stress is an inevitable aspect of life. We all feel the tension in several different conditions, kinds, and proportions. What triggers one person’s stress may not seem like a big deal to anyone else.
Stress can arise from seemingly minor incidents such as traffic jams or a long line in the shop, or it can be the product of a crisis case, such as job loss, family death, or a pandemic like the latest coronavirus.
The most important thing to do is to identify, acknowledge and control your stress to prevent adverse physical and emotional effects. Stress can develop into chronic stress when left unattended. It has been shown that constant stress suppresses the immune system, increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and exacerbates underlying disorders such as anxiety and depression.
Are you getting affected by your family’s stress level? You may experience severe stress, such as financial difficulties, job loss, learning problems for children, mental or physical health issues, family communication issues, relocation, divorce, and separation. This article will discuss the signs of family stress, as well as tips on how to cope with family stress.
Signs of family stress
Check out the following signs of family stress below:
You find yourself initiating arguments for no apparent reason
You are more likely to overreact at any given moment if you allow stress and anxiety to build up while you are in a family environment. If you find yourself initiating fights at the drop of a hat with family members, it’s time to step back and reflect on what makes you so mad.
When you recognise the stressor, you need to speak with your family about it. With the lack of family communication, it could be as simple as expressing your frustration. Gather those important to the conversation and speak about what’s on your mind instead of shouting and adding fuel to the flames.
Here’s – Five Skills for Effective Communication You Should Try Today
You distance yourself considerably
You have entirely avoided going to family dinners, and you are avoiding speaking like the plague to family members. Severing ties with family members seems to be the only way to heal yourself in some situations. But at some moments, it’s not always the best choice to lose contact with family and can cause more pain in your life.
It would help if you thought about why you have distanced yourself and whether it is possible to mend the bond between you and your family. It’s a very personal and awkward situation to be in, deliberately distancing yourself from relatives, so take a lot of consideration and time to decide what to do. You must let them realize that you really love them, but you need to take some time for yourself if you do not want to lose contact with family and avoid stress.
You feel physically sick when you’re around them
Maybe your entire family meets once a week for dinner. You may have a problem if you find yourself feeling ill when preparing to meet them at Grandma’s place. All stress symptoms are stomach aches, sweaty palms, headaches, and nervous butterflies in your belly, implying you’re dreading meeting your family. And your body is searching for a way out of it.
When choosing what to wear, when you’re battling against stomach cramps, try to find out where the fear comes from. Are you expecting an inevitable question, such as, “Why don’t you date anybody?” Or is there only an underlying tension that is never addressed by anyone, so it festers? It will help you develop a plan to cope with the stress response, and by knowing what makes you anxious, you feel less uncomfortable about it.
You don’t think you’re good enough when you’re with them
If a family member continually criticizes your lifestyle decisions, you may feel very down about your present situation. Jealousy might also set in if your sibling or cousin is “doing better than you” in the eyes of your family. It isn’t good for your mental health to walk away from a family reunion feeling like you’re not good enough and may cause severe depression.
Before attending a family party, remind yourself that you are content with your place in life. Give yourself a rousing speech and ensure that if the fam takes you down, you have a close friend on-call to boost your morale. You can’t compare yourself with anyone, and if you’re compared to cousins or siblings by your family, then that’s their problem. You’ve got to do things at your speed.
See also – 40+ Ways to Protect Your Inner Peace
You are quick to recognize the flaws of others
You might have an issue with your hands while you’re sitting at the dinner table, pointing out everyone’s faults in your brain. A temporary way to fuel your depression is to demonize your kin, but it isn’t going to do you any good.
Yes, your dad may be worrying about himself constantly. And yes, maybe your aunt does not hold the same political convictions as you do. But try to avoid searching for the negative and begin to see the positive instead.
Choosing to focus on a family member’s negative aspects can make the stress and tension worse. As difficult as it might be to flip your brain into a positive mode, it is in your best interest to do so. By staying out of the discussion for a moment could help neutralize the negativity.
Tips on coping with family stress
Here are a few tips for coping with family stress:
Have family dinner together
One of the most significant moments in the life of a family is dinner hour. You don’t run off for dancing or soccer practice on nights, sit in on a parent-teacher meeting or meet about a forthcoming charity function, prepare to have dinner with your family. Out of this, you get more than one positive thing.
Following a study published in the journal Pediatrics, kids who eat meals with their family at least three times a week are 24 percent more likely to eat nutritious meals and 12 percent less likely to become overweight.
A Brigham Young University study found that those adults who sat down in the evening for a family meal indicated that their work was more enjoyable and healthier, meaning it can relieve stress.
This time together offers a chance for bonding and the building of relationships. It helps to find out about things that could cause stress for your kids. You will help them avoid potential issues and educate them on how to react to the stresses they are currently facing.
Do something interesting
It would vary from a visit to an amusement park every week to playing computer games or playing a board game at home with family. Be ready that what your family wants to do for amusement might be unnecessary for the moment, but feel free to give them more realistic ideas.
Share responsibilities
Nobody likes household chores, but they’re stuff that needs to be done. It may eliminate potential conflict by splitting duties such as sweeping, throwing out the garbage, vacuuming, bathing the dog, and raking the yard equally.
No one person would feel pressured if everybody participates. It also helps teach younger kids to learn not to become upset when they are not completely capable of completing a task. They will develop skills they will need to survive on their own in the process.
Ensure you get a “me time.”
Force yourself to take “me time” for several minutes a day so that your children, spouse, and extended family members can be more efficient. Everyone always says, “I’m too busy for myself,” but you’ve got to push yourself to find the time. It’s essential to find the time and take it, even if you take 5 minutes for yourself. You deserve it, after all.
Remember to provide a strong network of support
Studies have also illustrated the value of a strong support network for our well-being. Virtually anybody who is encouraging and inspiring to you will include a supportive network, including but not restricted to: family, colleagues, co-workers, individuals at a place of worship, neighbours, and many more.
Show your appreciation
There is someone you need to say a simple thank you to in your family. That could be your partner, infant, mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, and so on. Please find the time to show your appreciation for the positive part they play in your life. Maybe they will motivate you to focus on dealing with your family stressors as well.
While there is no “magic fix” for working past family stress, please try some of the above tips to start your path to recovery. Sometimes, the most straightforward approaches are the best ones.
Reference
5 tips to cope with family stress – Hammondpsychology
6 signs your family is stressing you out – Hellogiggles
