18 Parents/Caregivers: Coping with Stress

Common Signs of Stress:

Physical Signs

• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Headache
• Stiff neck and/or tight shoulders
• Back pain
• Sweaty palms
• Upset stomach
• Fatigue

Emotional Signs

• Feel irritable and unable to deal with even small problems
• Feel frustrated, lose your temper more often, and yell at others for no reason
• Feel jumpy or tired all the time
• Find it hard to focus on tasks
• Worry too much about small things
• Feel that you are missing out on things because you can’t act quickly
• Imagine that bad things are happening or about to happen

Effective Ways to Cope with Stress:

Relax your Mind

• Write down your feelings, however you feel most comfortable: This could be through poetry, a Facebook post, or journaling a few successes and room for growth each day. Set aside a small part of time (maybe before bed) to express how things made you feel today.
• Discuss your feelings: Talk to your support people (friends, family, counselor, clergy) and tell them how you are feeling. Release your emotions with them. Talk, laugh, and cry.
• Do something you enjoy: Pursue hobbies that you currently enjoy and look into new areas of interest as well.

Relax your Body

• Exercise: Get into an exercise routine. Move your body to relieve tension and stress. Even less strenuous activities, such as walking or doing chores can make a difference.
• Relaxation techniques: Breathing exercises, stretching, and muscle relaxation are just a few things that can help reduce stress

When is it time to ask for help? Here are a few indicators:

• You feel trapped, like there’s nowhere to turn
• You worry excessively and can’t concentrate
• The way you feel affects your sleep, your eating habits, your job, your relationships, and your everyday life

Resources

American Psychological Association. Mind/Body Health: Stress. Available from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-help.aspx

Web MD. Stress Management – Effects of Stress. Available from http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management

Autsrom, M. G. & Lu, Y. (2009). Long term caregiving: Helping families of persons with mild cognitive impairment cope. Current Alzheimer Research, volume 6, pages 392-398.

Smith, K. (2020) Coping with Stress While Caring for a Child with Autism. Available from: https://www.psycom.net/coping-with-stress-while-caring-for-a-child-with-autism/

Sarris, M. (2019) Stress and the Autism Parent Available from: https://iancommunity.org/ssc/stress-and-autism-parent

Miranda, A., Mira, A., Berenguer, C., Rosello, B., & Baixauli, I. (2019). Parenting stress in mothers of children with autism without intellectual disability. Mediation of behavioral problems and coping strategies. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(MAR), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00464