Overcoming Parental Anxiety: Strategies for a Calmer Mind

Symptoms of Parental Anxiety

Being able to identify the signs is the first step you’ll take in learning how to deal with parental anxiety. There are many anxiety symptoms — common ones to be aware of include:

• Excessive (and often irrational) worry about your child’s safety, health, or future
• Being overprotective to the point you hinder independence and growth
• Sleep disturbances due to persistent worries about your child
• Physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, or muscle tension due to chronic stress and anxiety
• Increased irritability and becoming easily annoyed or angered (especially in situations involving your child)
• Difficulty concentrating or struggling to focus on tasks or conversations because you’re preoccupied with concerns and constant worry about your child
• Avoidance behaviors that steer you from certain activities or social situations because you believe them to be too risky
• Intense emotional overreactions about minor issues or challenges, often out of proportion to the actual situation in reality

What Causes Parental Anxiety?

There’s no one single thing that causes parental anxiety. It can stem from any issues related to your child or parenting. Understanding the root cause of your stress can help you address and mitigate its impact, though. There are several common factors associated with anxiety and parenting.

Child’s health and safety

An anxious parent is often concerned about their child’s physical health and safety. Being concerned about potential illnesses can be a significant source of anxiety. It’s easy to develop anxious feelings about accidents, injuries, or chronic health conditions that might affect your child.

Parenting responsibilities

Parenting is hard – it involves an overwhelming sense of responsibility. Your job includes daily caregiving tasks, continuous decision-making, and intense pressure to be perfect, all of which can cause mom burnout and contribute to anxiety. 

Social pressures

Social pressures, expectations, and comparisons to other parents can create extreme anxiety for many parents. The pressure to conform to specific parenting styles or standards, or to appear like everything is under control, can be stressful and lead to anxious thought patterns.

Financial concerns

Worrying about providing for your family and the astronomical expense of raising a child today can be a significant stressor. Planning for your child’s financial future, and the fear of financial instability can further exacerbate anxiety.

Child’s education and future

It’s natural to worry about your child’s future, but when you add concerns about their academic performance, the anxiety just compounds. Of course, you want the best for your child, so educational opportunities and future success often become a massive source of anxiety. 

Personal mental health

If you have an existing mental health condition, the demands of parenting can intensify episodes and symptoms. For example, the combination of an anxiety disorder and parenting stress can be incredibly challenging. 

 

It’s important to seek help in managing your anxiety once you become a parent — some research shows that children who have parents with anxiety have a significantly higher risk of developing childhood anxiety. More research shows that children are more likely to develop anxiety and depressive disorders when their parents have an anxiety disorder.  

External stressors

External stressors like work, relationship issues, or not having support from friends or family can add to parental anxiety. The pressures you face daily can make it harder to manage your parenting responsibilities as effectively as you’d like to, which can add to your anxiety and make you feel like you’re failing as a parent.

Lack of knowledge or experience

Particularly for new or inexperienced parents, it’s easy to be anxious because you lack the knowledge or confidence in your abilities. Uncertainty and fear of making mistakes can lead to heightened anxiety in new moms and dads.

8 Ways to Manage Parental Anxiety

Parenting with anxiety can be painful, but fortunately, there are many ways to manage it so you can enjoy the journey you’re on. The most important thing to remember is that it’s natural and normal to worry about your children. That said, excessive anxiety can become a problem. 

If anxiety is interfering with your day-to-day life and your ability to parent, consider the following strategies so you can live a healthier, more balanced family life.

H3: Identify your triggers

Understanding what triggers your anxiety is a crucial first step in being able to manage and keep it under control. Ways to pinpoint anxiety triggers include keeping a journal to note specific situations, people, thoughts, or events that cause you to feel anxious. Once you recognize patterns, you can anticipate and prepare for them ahead of time.

H3: Practice self-care

Taking care of yourself is essential to being a productive, effective parent. It gives you the time and space you need to reset and recharge, so you have the energy and motivation to be the best parent possible, without allowing anxiety to take over. 

Self-care for parents can include:

• Getting enough sleep
• Eating a balanced diet
• Taking care of yourself
• Engaging in regular physical activity

It also includes making time for things you enjoy, like hobbies, relaxation, and social events. Prioritizing your own mental and physical well-being will equip you to handle parenting challenges.

H3: Use deep breathing exercises

Deep breathing exercises calm your mind and reduce physical symptoms of anxiety. Try using techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, where you take deep breaths from your diagram and hold them for a few seconds before slowly exhaling. Daily deep breathing exercises for anxiety can help you stay calm and centered, even during stressful situations.

H3: Talk through your feelings

Expressing your feelings and sharing your worries with a trusted friend or family member — or a therapist — can help you gain perspective. Sometimes, just verbalizing your anxiety can make it more manageable.

H3: Limit exposure to stressors

When you know what stresses you out, it’s easier to reduce your exposure to those situations. This might mean setting boundaries, limiting the time you spend on social media, or avoiding news if it fuels your anxiety. Make an effort to create as peaceful and controlled an environment as possible.

H3: Develop coping strategies

Coping strategies can help you manage anxiety when it surfaces. Mindfulness practices, like meditation or yoga, might work well for you. Other techniques, like time management skills, prioritizing tasks, or setting realistic goals, can be equally beneficial. 

When it comes to anxiety, the cure is not one-size-fits-all. Experiment with different coping skills for anxiety until you find what works best for you.

H3: Embrace self-compassion

A little self-compassion can go a long way when it comes to dealing with parental anxiety. Be kind to yourself and recognize that feeling anxious is OK — it’s a natural reaction. Treat yourself with the same type of compassion and understanding that you’d offer your child or a friend who has anxiety. Avoid negative, harsh self-criticism and instead, focus on your strengths and achievements as a parent to calm your mind.

H3: Get professional help

Sometimes, anxiety can become so overwhelming that you need more than simple, self-help coping mechanisms. If this is the case, seek professional help with therapy for anxiety. Therapists can provide you with tools to help you manage your anxiety. Sometimes, you might even need medication to help alleviate severe anxiety — a mental health professional can explain your options and discuss if medication might be something you should consider.

Manage Parental Anxiety with Professional Support

Being able to manage parental anxiety requires understanding your triggers and finding strategies that work for you. Whether it’s working out, using mindfulness, or talking to someone about what you’re feeling, it is possible to control your anxiety. 

For ongoing support, explore Talkspace’s online therapy options. Talkspace provides expert help so you can overcome parenting with anxiety and start your journey toward a calm mind and healthier perspective. Get connected with experienced therapists from the comfort of your home, so you can get online treatment for anxiety when, where, and how you need it.