How To Deal With Anxiety When Your Child Is The Trigger

Anxiety is an incredibly common mental health condition, and it can impact everyone differently. However, one thing most people trying to manage their anxiety can agree on is that certain triggers can make symptoms worse. 

Often, avoiding those triggers is ideal. By keeping them out of your life, it’s easier to manage your symptoms and fight back against negative thoughts. 

But, what happens when your children are your triggers? 

How can you manage your anxiety when your kids are fueling it?

First, don’t let yourself feel too guilty. You’re not a bad parent because your kids are triggering your anxiety, and you’re certainly not alone in how you feel. 

Let’s dive a little deeper into how your children might be triggering your anxious thoughts, and how you can cope. 

How Can Kids Trigger Anxiety?

Raising children is one of the most incredible experiences a person can go through. However, it’s also one of the most overwhelming. 

If you’re already prone to anxiety or you’ve been struggling with it for a while, your kids can serve as triggers in a variety of ways. 

Parenting is unpredictable. Sometimes, no matter how much you plan for something, it throws you a curveball. That kind of uncertainty can be a huge trigger for some people. 

Raising children also means you lost some control. While you’re technically “in control” of your kids, things don’t always go the way you might want them to, making life feel chaotic. 

On top of it all, parenting is downright challenging at times. Kids make messes, they can disobey, make a lot of noise, and make you feel like you’ll never find any peace. No matter how much you love and care for your children, just about every parent experiences these feelings sometimes. 

So, what can you do? 

Get a Handle on the Triggers

Chances are, you won’t be able to make everything more predictable or get “full control” over every family situation. 

However, you can make things easier on yourself by putting strategies in place to take back some control and familiarity. 

Make lists. Stay organized. Keep a family calendar. Set boundaries for everyone, and when there are rules in place, make sure they’re enforced. 

Keeping these things in line will make it harder for you to feel like everything is spiraling out of control. It won’t make them go away completely, but it can make them easier to manage. 

Focus On What You Can Control

This is an especially important tip when you feel like your kids are causing things to be chaotic. Focusing on what you can’t control will only fuel your anxiety and cause you to panic. 

Instead of focusing on every small battle, think about the things you can control. You can set curfews for your older children. You decide who your kids can spend time with. It’s up to you to determine what’s for dinner tonight. 

Those might seem like small things. But, focusing on them can help to ease your anxiety and give you a greater sense of control over the larger things, too. 

Take Care of Yourself

As a parent, you’re likely putting everyone else first. That’s normal, and sometimes it might even feel necessary. 

However, you can’t pour from an empty cup. 

Self-care isn’t selfish when you’re a parent. In fact, you should consider it a necessity. You can’t care for your family properly if you’re not taking care of yourself first. 

By practicing self-care, you’ll find ways to combat your anxiety that work for you. That might include exercising, journaling, meditating, or practicing mindfulness. All of those activities can help with symptoms of anxiety and allow you to feel more in control. 

Anxiety is often very manageable. However, it doesn’t go away on its own, especially when you’re around what’s triggering you every day. 

If you’re struggling with anxiety and your children are your triggers, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Feel free to contact us to set up an appointment or get more information on anxiety therapy.