Parenting, Stress, and COVID-19
It’s no secret that parenting comes with a variety of challenges. Between balancing childcare and work responsibilities with a never-ending to-do list, you can start to feel like your official title is really “professional juggler.” Laundry piles up, dinnertime rolls around again, and homework help is needed in the midst of a looming deadline… Simply put: being a parent can be, um, stressful.
Although there’s plenty to juggle to begin with, the recent COVID-19 pandemic added a whole new layer of unexpected challenges for parents. Daily life changed in an instant in March of 2020, when stay-at-home orders moved work and school into the same space: home. Alongside the fear and anxiety that came with the virus, parents found themselves losing childcare, navigating the demands of online schooling, and finding ways to keep their children engaged while they remained isolated from their social circle. The result was less than rosy. According to the American Psychological Association, “44.3% of parents with children under 18 years living at home reported worse mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with 35.6% of respondents without children under 18 living at home.”
The days of mandatory stay-at-home orders are behind us, but parental stress has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Everything from changing school guidelines around the virus to difficulty finding access to tests have only added to the stress parents face on the daily. Even more concerning? This stress is often chronic, meaning it has the ability to significantly affect overall health, increasing the risk of things like heart disease and depression.
Okay, that’s probably enough of the not-so-great news for now. The good news? Managing stress is totally possible. From creating routines to staying in touch with friends and family to spending time in nature, certain activities can help release the stress and anxiety that comes with raising a family in this uncertain climate. We’re here to help, too.
A Morning Routine For Stress
You may not have a whole day to indulge in your favorite self-care activities (ugh, if only!), but scheduling a few moments for yourself can really help. Consider setting aside some time in the morning (even 10 minutes will do), to step outside, queue up a brief meditation on your phone, or sip your coffee. Hocus Pocus, one of our amazing mushroom coffees, is made with some pretty powerful shrooms to bring on a sense of calm. We even have an instant version, for those days when you’re rushing to drop-off. Reishi and chaga to the rescue!
Wind Down with Wunderground
Organizations like the CDC and WHO say taking time to unwind is a great way to keep stress in check, and we’d have to agree. An evening routine is a must, even if it doesn’t always go as planned. Try dimming the lights and putting away technology an hour or so before rest, and attempting to make it to bed at the same time each night. We probably don’t have to tell you just how important sleep is, but if you’re struggling to catch ZZZs after a busy day with the kids, we have to recommend Dream Supply. Not only is our bestselling tea a great part of that nighttime routine, it features chamomile, lion’s mane, and reishi to calm the mind and help you drift off into dreamland.
Parental burnout is real, especially with the added difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and, here at Wunderground, we believe parents deserve all of the support they can get. For us, that support means making the most of adaptogenic mushrooms and the very real power they have to relieve daily stress and anxiety. Let those shrooms help you as you take on one of the most rewarding (and arguably the hardest!) jobs in the world.
