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Sandwich Generation Moms feeling the
squeeze…APA offers tips for stressed-out
mothers caring for children, parents
WASHINGTON, May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Mothers in the "sandwich generation," ages
35-54, feel more stress than any other age
group as they balance the demanding,
delicate acts of caring for growing children
and their aging parents, according to the
American Psychological Association's 2007
Stress in America survey.
And while nearly two-in-five men and women
in this age group feel overextended, the
survey reveals that more women than men
report experiencing extreme stress and say
they manage their stress poorly.
Nearly 40 percent of those aged 35 -54
report extreme levels of stress (compared to
29 percent of 18-34 years old and 25 percent
of those older than 55).
This stress takes a toll not only on
personal relationships -- 83 percent say
relationships with their spouse, children
and family is the top source of their stress
-- but also on their own well-being as they
struggle to take better care of themselves.
As
Mother's Day approaches, it's a good time
for moms and their families to recognize the
importance of addressing stress and managing
it in healthy ways.
"It's not surprising that so many people in
that age group are experiencing stress,"
says psychologist Katherine Nordal, Ph.D.,
executive director for professional
practice, American Psychological
Association.
"The worry of your parents' health, and your
children's well-being as well as the
financial concern of putting kids through
college and saving for your own retirement
is a lot to handle."
APA offers these strategies to help
mothers manage stress:
-- Identify stressors -- What events or
situations trigger stressful feelings? Are
they related to your children, family
health, financial decisions, work,
relationships or something else?thing else?
-- Recognize how you deal with stress --
Are you using unhealthy behaviors to cope
with the stress of supporting your children
and parents, and is this specific to certain
events or situations?
Put things in perspective -- make time for
what's really-important.
Prioritize and delegate
responsibilities. Identify ways your family
and friends can lessen your load so that you
can take a break. Delay or say no to less
important tasks.
-- Find healthy ways to manage stress --
Consider healthy, stress-reducing activities
-- taking a short walk, exercising, or
talking things out with friends or family.
Keep in mind that unhealthy behaviors
develop over time and can be difficult to
change. Focus on changing only one behavior
at a time.
-- Take care of yourself. Eat right, get
enough sleep, drink plenty of water and
engage in regular physical activity like
walking or yoga or your weekly softball
game. Keep in contact with your friends,
family members. No matter how hectic
life gets, you need to take care of yourself
-- which includes making time for yourself
-- so you have the mental and physical
energy to care for your parents and
children.
-- Ask for professional support --
Accepting help from supportive friends and
family can improve your ability to persevere
during stressful times. If you continue to
be overwhelmed by stress or the unhealthy
behaviors you use to cope, you may want to
talk with a psychologistwho can help you
address the emotions behind your worries,
better manage stress and change unhealthy
behaviors.
"Mothers often put their family needs first
and neglect their own," says Nordal.
"Mothers need to manage their stress for
their own health benefits, and also for
those around them. How a mother manages
stress is often a model for the rest of the
family. Other family members will imitate
her unhealthy behavior."
To learn more about stress and mind/body
health, visit the American Psychological
Association's Help Center at
www.apahelpcenter.org.
The American Psychological Association (APA),
in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific
and professional organization representing
psychology in the United States and is the
world's largest association of
psychologists. APA's membership includes
more than 148,000 researchers, educators,
clinicians, consultants and students.
Through its divisions in 54 subfields of
psychology and affiliations with 60 state,
territorial and Canadian provincial
associations, APA works to advance
psychology as a science, as a profession and
as a means of promoting human welfare.
Source: American Psychological Association
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