The Pennsylvania Psychological Association Offers Tips for Mothers.
According to a 2009 survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), women are more affected by stress than men and report engaging in unhealthy behaviors such as comfort eating, poor diet choices, smoking, and inactivity to help deal with stress. The same survey showed women report feeling the effects of stress on their physical health more than men. With Mother’s Day fast approaching, it’s a good time for moms and their families to recognize the importance of addressing stress and managing it in healthy ways.
“How a mother manages stress is often a model for the rest of the family,” says psychologist Dr. Steven Cohen, President of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. “Other family members will imitate her unhealthy behavior.”
APA’s 2009 survey results indicate that women continue to bear the brunt of stress, particularly in relation to financial concerns and worries over their family’s health and family responsibilities, and they consistently report higher leverls of stress than men.
“Of greatest concern is the fact that women report more physical and emotional symptoms of stress,” says Dr. Cohen, “and are more likely to report lacking willpower to make changes recommended by health care providers.”
The Pennsylvania Psychological Association offers these strategies to help mothers manage stress:
Understand how you experience stress. Everyone experiences stress differently. How do you know when you are stressed? How are your thoughts or behaviors different from times when you do not feel stressed?
Identify stressors. What events or situations trigger stressful feelings? Are they related to your chldren, family health, financial decisions, work, rerlationships or something else?
Recognize how you deal with stress. Determine if you are using unhealthy behaviors to cope with the stress of motherhood. Is this a routine behavior, or is it specific to certain events or situations? Do you make unhealthy choices as a result of feeling rushed and overwhelmed, such as stopping for fast food while running errands or picking up your kids? Put things in perspective. Make time for what’s really important. Prioritize and delegate responsibilities. Identify ways your family and friends can lessen your load so that you can take a break. Delay or say no to less important tasks.
Find healthy ways to manage stress. Consider healthy, stress-reducing activities — taking a short walk, exercising, or talking things out with friends or family. Keep in mind that unhealthy behaviors develop over time and can be difficult to change. Don’t take on too much at once. Focus on changing only one behavior at a time.
Ask for professional support. Accepting help from supportive friends and family can improve your ability to persevere during stressful times. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, you may want to talk with a psychologist who can help you manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors.
“Mothers often put their family needs first and neglect their own,” says Dr. Cohen. “It’s okay to relax your standards — don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to have the ‘perfect’ house or be the ‘perfect’ mother. No one expects you to be Superwoman.”
To learn more about stress and mind/body health, visit the Pennsylvania Psychological Association’s Web site, www.papsy.org, or the American Psychological Association’s Consumer Help Center at www.APAhelpcenter.org
________________________________________
The Pennsylvania Psychological Association is a member-driven organization organization dedicated to promoting and advancing psychology in Pennsylvania, advocating for public access to psychological services, and enhancing multiple dimensions of human welfare while supporting the development of competent and ethical psychologists. Our mission is to educate, update and inform the public and our membership on cutting-edge psychological theory and practice through training activities and public policy initiatives.
Web site: www.papsy.org/public/index.html
Pennsylvania Psychological Association
Marti Evans
Public Information Contact
email: mevans@papsy.org
phone: 717-232-3817