DE-STRESS YOUR SUMMER

School’s out for summer!  It’s a favorite time of year for school-aged children across the country.  If you’re a working parent or grandparent, however, it can be a challenging time to resolve schedule conflict and ensure proper care for the children.  Even the joy of family vacations can carry stresses of planning, decision-making, financial strain and managing work responsibilities.  Unfortunately, when we feel stressed, we are more likely to neglect our own health and well being.  

Here are a few ways to help manage these unique summer stressors, recommended by the Pennsylvania Psychological Association:

Understand how you experience stress. Everyone experiences stress differently. How do you know when you are stressed? How do you think or act differently during these times?

Identify stressors. What situations trigger stressful feelings for you?

How do you deal with stress?  Do you resort back to unhealthy behaviors?  Can you still make time for what is most important and eliminate unnecessary activities?

Be realistic. Have conversations about the summer activities that fit into your family's schedule and make compromises if necessary. For example, if you have vacation time available, take one day off from work, pack a picnic and go to the park or the beach instead of an elaborate vacation.

Find healthy ways to manage stress. Consider healthy, stress-reducing activities -- take a short walk, listen to joyful music, exercise or spending quality time together at home. 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.

Work together.  Is anyone in your neighborhood in a similar situation?  Try to share a babysitter, enlist the help of a stay-at-home mother, or arrange alternating playdates so that your children can be with their friends while you are working.

Ask for help. Accepting help from supportive friends and family can lighten the load during stressful times. If you continue to feel overwhelmed, you may want to talk with a counselor who can help you manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors.  Contact your EAP for assistance in finding a counselor to help you work through these challenges.

Work with a coach!  If you are struggling to stay healthy during the summer, let us know.  We have a staff of health behaviorists who specialize in mental health, nutrition, physical activity and more.  We can work with you throughout the season to problem solve and stay on the road to wellness.

When parents and grandparents find healthy coping strategies, they show children how to better respond to the stress in their lives.  If you can continue taking care of yourself when life gets challenging (eating right, staying active, keeping things in perspective), you will be better able to create a positive experience for the family and be a model of health for the children.

Here are a few more ideas for simple and affordable activities that can create lasting memories without breaking the bank or disrupting your whole summer:

Light up the grill.  Designate a weekly barbecue night and eat outside as a family.

Be a tourist in your own town.  Take a few hours to visit a place in your own neighborhood that you would recommend to a visitor but haven’t seen in a while yourself.

Visit the library.  Let everyone in the family choose a few books and spend a lazy summer afternoon reading together.

Find a new recipe.  Summer fruits and vegetables are the beyond compare.  Perhaps you have some growing in your own garden already.  Look through a recipe book or website with your kids and make it together.  Maybe even choose a piece of exotic produce that isn’t a staple on your grocery list.

Go for a hike. Put on your walking shoes, find a big stick and explore the natural beauty in your region.

Encourage creativity.  Give your children a few art supplies, a simple musical instrument or the storyline for a short play.  Let them explore their imaginations while you complete a few tasks around the house.  When they’re ready, get out the camera and let them show you their creations!

Have a water fight!  You don’t need a fancy water park to cool off.  Pick up some balloons, plastic cups or simple water pistols and let the whole family run around and have some fun.  You don’t necessarily have to be a kid to act like one.

Go camping in your own yard.  Grab some flashlights, pitch a tent and maybe even make a campfire.  Take turns telling stories and enjoy an evening together under the stars.

If you have more ideas to share about how to make summer fun while keeping it simple, leave a comment below!