Palm Beach Therapy Center – Boca Raton, FL
A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a Live Facebook Video with Modern Boca Mom, Michelle Olson-Rogers. We discussed how to manage stress & anxiety when it comes to welcoming the new school year. Below are some tips we discussed during the video:
1) Acknowledge anxiety – knowing how to recognize your stressors is the first step in dealing with them. (Irritability, sadness, physical pains).
2) Create a healthy routine – make time for your family and for your kids. It’s important for their sense of safety and stability. Having a good routine can help ease stress and make this adjustment period easier for yourself and your children. Implement healthy meals and healthy sleep patterns. Make sure to pencil in some family time as well-do something fun locally or plan a little trip for the weekend. These experience help bond your family and allow you an opportunity to learn something new about each other.
3) Maintain a sense of positivity – your children are impressionable. They see it all. Teach them how to respond appropriately and positively because “nothing lasts forever.” Even these difficult emotions will pass. Focus on your own responses and be aware of how that can be interpreted by young minds.
4) Remember to focus on your self-care…this includes fostering healthy relationships, asking for help or support, and prioritizing personal needs as well. Many times, parents are so busy with their work or their kids calendars, of course the easiest thing to sacrifice are personal needs. And it’s simply because there is just not enough time in a day. But Your happiness is very important -you can’t Pour from an empty glass. So don’t be afraid to put yourself first.
5) Communicate and normalize difficult emotions – be open, honest, empathic and validate your children. (School can be tough-especially in today’s society. Their feelings are real and they need you). Become curious about their days and ask open ended questions. Transitions are difficult so when your children are starting their new school year-it means you are both experiencing some sort of a transition as you adjust.
Any adjustment period requires empathy, patience, support and understanding-and these things come out in the way you speak to your children and your spouse. Kids often don’t know how to appropriately handle these difficult emotions and sometimes they act out because it’s so overwhelming for them.
Adults have trouble communicating so of course children will run into the same issues especially because they are still learning. Having healthy communications patterns in the household is so important-between parents and children and between two parents because children see and hear things. You have the ability to model positive tools, which is one of the best ways for your children to learn these skills.
Hope these tips were helpful for you!
Wishing everyone a great first week back at school and continued success throughout this year!
