Being the masculine figure in your family dynamic comes with a ton of perks. From being the one that everyone comes to for protection, advice, adventure, fun, fixing things and money, you know the ranges of emotions and challenges that come with parenthood are sometimes smooth and quick, and others are far more long-lasting and pervasive. Thankfully, we have platforms such as this, as well as support systems, information and resources at our fingertips like never before.
Still, it doesn’t make it easier in the moment to deal with stresses at home when the challenges demand immediate attention, reaction, and resolution. There are a number of ways people, parents or non-parents, work with their stresses and stressors, in both healthy and unhealthy ways. If, like many parents and families now, you’re also juggling the normal everyday challenges as well as things like ADHD, there are everyday solutions, as well as other ideas to help with ADHD. Finding the outlet that works best for you and your lifestyle is something that will not only benefit you, but your entire life and those around you. Let’s explore some common outlets:
1. Meditation. Meditation is an ancient practice, utilized by millions of people from all walks of life. From high performing executives, to children and students, it can be done anytime, anywhere. Even if you have only a few minutes each day to meditate, that is wonderful. Meditation has given calm, insight, peace, clarity, patience, love and much more to meditators, and it’s benefits are now measurable by science.
2. Exercise. From a young age, many of us are taught to play, to move our bodies, to walk, exercise, swim, bike, run, lift, stretch, sweat … any means of keeping active will keep our stress levels down, our hormones balanced and ourselves feeling more calm, in control and confident. Like meditation, there are innumerable benefits of regular exercise, whether your choice is yoga, daily walks or something more vigorous, moving your body daily is a key component of providing good care for yourself, so you can care well for others.
3. Hobbies. Having hobbies is something that’s perhaps lost on some, and for those that do have hobbies, you can understand their importance in life. Whether a solo hobby that’s yours alone and quiet time, or one you participate in and share with others, you know the pure joy, challenges, planning, and dedication it takes to maintain something for pleasure and a creative outlet. Having hobbies also gives you something to look forward to, helps better deal with stress in the home, which is a key ingredient for happiness and optimism. Sharing hobbies with your kids allows shared interests and developing stronger bonds, which is a known stress reducer and antidote to things like addictive behaviors later on in life.
4. Creative expression. This can be similar to hobbies, or not, but is really anything that gives you a creative outlet. Woodworking, spoken word poetry, painting, writing, problem-solving, working on old cars, making online content … creativity is more than just painting or drawing, it is anything that allows you to be in a state of flow and express yourself in a nature that feels good and freeing. How do you express yourself in a creative manner?
Providing stable, reliable structure to your family comes in many forms, from regularity in routines, planning a traditional summer vacation, being the coach of your kids’ sports teams and the breadwinner, or the backbone of your household. No matter your duties and responsibilities, being a parent and spouse takes a lot of work, and comes with sometimes more stress than rewards.
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