Parents are dealing with more stressors than ever, according to a recent US Surgeon General health advisory issued last fall. The advisory warns that parental stress has now become a public health condition. The Coast Guard understands the importance- of parenting and having a healthy work-life balance. Stress affects a stable work-life balance and impacts the manner in which we parent. Therefore, it is essential to recognize signs of stress behaviors and implement coping mechanisms to mitigate negative outcomes.
Marshe’ Milbourne-Jackson, Family Advocacy Program Coordinator, explains, “When parents are stressed, it trickles down to the children who feel the stress, anxiety and sense cues even if things are not said. Children mimic and learn from their parents, and they feel the same impacts of life as their parents.”
When those inevitable stressful moments arise in life, here are three tools parents can use to help cool-down before negative stress behaviors begin:
- #1 Take Micro Breaks. Self-care is critical in bouncing-back from any type of stress. Five minutes of listening to a self-guided meditation or sitting quietly while you center can do wonders. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine explained in an article that self-compassion an acknowledging that you are doing your best can be a key resource to help manage stress.
- #2 Deep Breathing. Neurological Magazine found that deep breathing techniques seemed to create an effective improvement in mood and stress. How exactly do you breathe deeply? This technique is typically described as breathing from the belly area as opposed to the chest. A 2024 WebMD article breaks down exactly how to conduct deep breathing and how it’s different from shallow breaths associated with anxiety and anxiousness.
- #3 Exercise. Moving your body can have positive effects. A Mayo Clinic article reports, “exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits.” It stimulates your endorphin production; the brain’s neurotransmitters that make you feel good. It also helps to calm and protect your body’s systems from the harmful effects of stress.
Here are a few key resources you can utilize if your emotions become overwhelming:
- The Coast Guard’s CG SUPRT Program is a service that is available 24/7. It assists all Coast Guard members and employees with a wide range of mental health and other life concerns such as depression, relationship issues, and work stress, which may impact the ability to perform on the job and care for the family. To access CG SUPRT, call 1-855-CGSUPRT (247-8778) or visit www.cgsuprt.com.
- The Coast Guard’s Family Advocacy Program provides the following services to active-duty members and reservists on active-duty orders: advocacy, risk assessment, safety and treatment planning, ongoing case management, referrals to programs such as anger management, domestic violence treatment programs, parenting classes, couples communications, substance abuse programs, Child Advocacy Centers and more. Information and referral services are also available for civilian non-beneficiaries, i.e. unmarried partners. Contact the Family Advocacy Specialist at the Health, Safety and Work-Life Regional Practice Office in your area by calling, 202-475-5100 for information.
- Report child abuse/neglect to the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has many resources and intervention fact sheets. Take a CARE training (3 to 6 hours) to improve your adult/ child relationship. Email: gurwitch@duke.edu or erica.messer@cchmc.org for more information.
“Child Abuse Prevention Month gives us one more reason to examine our stressors and relationships with our children. There are some things we can control and others we cannot. We can consciously decide to reduce stress in our lives that could subsequently cause harm to our kids. We, as parents, have to make an effort to use the positive coping skills and tools that are easily available to us to protect the children,” said Milbourne-Jackson.
-USCG-
Resources: