7 Tips for Parents to Build Resilience to Stress

Stress can have a debilitating effect on our overall wellbeing if it is not managed correctly. Resilience is a skill that is important for everyone to master so you are able to manage stress in a healthy way and have the ability to adapt to the everyday demands that life throws our way. Resilience is especially important for parents as being resilient helps you to control your emotions, persevere when life gets tough and bounce back after setbacks. 

As a parent, it can be hard to summon the resilience needed to get through some tough days and face the challenges that life can bring whilst protecting your own mental health and that of your children. So, this Parent Mental Health Day I have decided to share some tips on how the mums and dads on the Kent-Teach and HR Connect team stay strong, focused and resilient to deal with the challenges that parenting can bring. 

1) Find Time For Your Own Hobbies and Interests. Even if this just means nipping out for an hour to join that exercise class you’ve been meaning to go to or getting your nails done for an hour, having some time to yourself makes you a happier and more energised parent. 

2) Try To Get Enough Sleep. Getting enough shut eye often feels like a distant dream when you have small children! But a good night’s sleep works wonders for improving resilience and gives you the ability to cope with the day to day challenges of parenting.

3) Say No! Saying no to the extra tasks which add unnecessary pressure to your day need to go. This year I decided not to send Christmas cards except for close family and friends and what a difference it made to my stress levels before Christmas! Cut out anything you don’t have to do if you are feeling overwhelmed.

4) Set Time Aside for Tasks. Have a life admin evening once a week where you go through your to do list. By allocating time to the essential jobs it means you can use the rest of your evenings to have a bit of chill time when the children have gone to bed. 

5) Build a Support Network. Parenting can be really tough so it is important to know that there are plenty of other mums, dads and carers out there going through the same struggles as you are. So, having a like-minded support network of friends around you is really important to help your resilience levels. If you don’t have any other friends who are parents there are plenty of good pages and groups on social media which can support you or help you with a particular parenting problem. 

6) Get Organised. A great tip from one of the HR Connect mums is to have a wall or fridge calendar of all the after school clubs and events for the week including times and who is picking the children up. By staying organised you are improving your resilience and your ability to stay on top of your children’s hectic social lives!

7) Stop Scrolling. Mindlessly scrolling on social media is not good for your mental health and wastes your precious time. If you do want to use social media then set yourself a time limit (you can set this on your phone), or ensure you are mindfully consuming media. I try and put my phone away when I am spending time with my kids and also in the evening when they are in bed to help me properly relax and be present in the moment. 

Do you have any tips for parents and carers to help improve their resilience to things that life throws our way? Share them with us on our social channels. 

Did you know that we offer Emotional Intelligence, Stress and Resilience Training for schools? Our two-hour training session will help you discover the power of your mindset and how this influences your response to stress either positively or negatively. It will also give learners the opportunity to identify signs and symptoms of unmanageable stress levels and provide tools and techniques to support our resilience levels and reduce our vulnerability to stress. Bespoke training sessions are also available for whole school training. If you are interested in finding out more then please contact our Wellbeing Advisors by filling in a contact form.