Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques

Archive for the ‘Stress Management’ Category

Stress is a normal part of growing up and being a child.  Children are constantly changing and it is important to help them cope with the everyday cause and effects that it can have on them.  Normal pressures and tension will naturally disappear as your child develops.  When stress reaches a certain level in your child, they will need to have help from family members, teachers and even doctors to get them through it.

Children will learn from their parents and other adults.  This is also true about how to handle stress. If they see you get all worked up and upset, they will probably do the same.  If you do not like what you are seeing, you may want to change your own habits and the way that you take on pressure.

Remember what it was like when you were your child’s age.  Think about the situation and what you remember doing about it.  Do not deny or make fun of your child’s stress or worries.  These worries are real to them and they need to have your attention in a positive way.  Together the both of you can work out the problem and get it under control.

Communication is very important.  You need to talk to your children and help with the tension that they are feeling because of a certain subject.  Most of the time, it is something small that is causing their stress.  Be willing to help them and talk it over to find the best solution that both of you can agree on to make the situation better.

Do not lie to your children.  Tell them the truth about family matters and crises.  Do not try and protect them from everything that is going on. Sooner or later, they will find out and they will only be more stressed when they learn that their parents lied to them.  Your goal in life as a parent is to eliminate stress in your child’s life and not to cause it.
Let your child be involved in the decisions that need to be made and how to solve

Problems.  They will feel encouraged and loved when you are including them in these important things.  Provide your child with the tools that they are going to need in life to make those hard decisions and to deal with stress on a regular basis.  This will help your child develop better both mentally and physically in life.

One of the unique aspects of farming/ranching is that husbands and wives often work closely together. Consequently, farm/ranch operations and family life are tightly interwoven. Farm/ranch decisions are more likely to affect the entire family than are job decisions of workers in other occupations. For example, a decision to buy a new tractor is likely to affect plans for purchasing a new refrigerator. Especially during the harvest when one stressful event piles up on top of another and tensions run high, working closely together can lead to high levels of stress for the entire family.

Another source of tension for some farm/ranch couples is related to changing roles. Fifty years ago our society more clearly defined the differences between activities of husbands and wives. But today, with increasing farm/ranch costs, more and more farm/ranch wives hold two or more jobs (farm/ranch partner, mother-homemaker and off-farm/ranch employee). Some men who are accustomed to more traditional sexual roles may have difficulty accepting women working off the farm/ranch or making important decisions.

So, stress between a farm/ranch couple is not unusual considering the close working relationship and societal pressures. To relieve the strain, there are several things you can do.

* Plan ahead. Set measurable goals together for your lifetime, five years from now, and a year from now. Decide how long the two of you want to stay in farming/ranching; then get busy enjoying what you have decided to do.
* Communicate realistic expectations clearly. Use “I statements” more often than “you statements.” “You’re always wanting to buy something else!” will probably not get your spouse to change. Try using an I statement instead: “I get worried and angry when I hear you wanting to buy a new . . . What I’d like is for the two of us to sit down and decide together which major purchases we can afford.” Then, especially on serious matters, listen well so that you can repeat back to your partners satisfaction what she or he says and feels.
* Be flexible in your roles and attitudes. Letting others do things you usually do and relaxing your high standards can reduce pressures.
* Negotiate. When problems arise, schedule time for the two of you to brainstorm. Weigh the costs and benefits of each solution. Arrive at a plan that enables both of you to get something you want.