Practical Skills to Prevent Chronic Stress as a Caregiver of Special Kiddos
By: Jackie Schwabe, Mba
Tags: Autism, Special Needs Parenting, Caregiving, Special Needs, Self Care

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Practical Skills to Prevent Chronic Stress as a Caregiver of Special Kiddos

Stress is something that affects us all. Chronic stress is long-term stress that goes unimpeded over a long period of time. The fear, flight, or fight response is on for an extended time and adrenaline is pumping constantly. This places fatigue on the kidneys and the body’s entire system. Many diseases are stress-related; in fact, some experts estimate that up to 80% of all disease is stress-related.

Stress is a key cause of many small and big health problems, including hypertension, headaches, insomnia, skin conditions, diabetes, depression, and anxiety just to name a few. Knowing that stress has such an impact on our health, it is important to take steps to combat it to whatever extent we can.

If you add in the fact that you have a special little person or maybe even aging loved ones that you also are responsible for, getting a chronic condition isn’t going to help. It is even more important that we keep ourselves together and do what we can to really focus on self-care.

Here are five practical skills that help you defuse some of your stress levels and keep you that much healthier and happier.

Exercise

Regular exercise is known to boost your immunity, improve heart health and blood circulation, increase the amount of oxygen coming in through the lungs, and lower stress. It can also elevate mood as happiness endorphins are released during exercise. A workout of low to moderate intensity can increase your vitality, reduce pain, and improve your sleep. Exercise helps relieve some of the tension associated with chronic stress.

Exercise may look different for you though if you can’t get to the gym or maybe you can’t find someone that can safely watch your child for you. You also may not be able to spend 20 minutes doing it all at one time. However, perhaps you can play tag with them? Maybe you can just do some wall pushups each time you get them something. You’re a special needs parent, you know how to get creative!

Healthy Eating

Eating well is an essential part of reducing stress. Too much fat, red meat, carbohydrates, and sugar in the diet put stress on the heart and the arteries. Chronic stress has been connected to the storage of fat around the middle. To help reduce stress through diet, here is what you should be eating: A minimum of five, and up to ten portions of leafy greens and other vegetables and fruits each day; a small amount of lean meat, chicken, or fish; a small number of whole grains, or legumes (beans and lentils); nuts and seeds.

The good news is that you can get leafy greens pretty easily. I literally buy big bags of lettuce or spinach and grab the leaf and put a bit of peanut butter on it or maybe even nothing. At least if I am stress eating, I am stress eating rabbit food. Nuts and seeds are also pretty easy. There isn’t a lot of preparation required, so it is actually easier to eat well or snack well than make something big — if you get creative.

Relaxation

Learn how to relax all your muscles; you can start at your head and work your way to your toes. Clench one muscle group for a few seconds, and then release. Move on to the next muscle group and repeat. As you relax, the stress response is turned off and the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in, aiding your digestion and your ability to experience peace and inner quiet.

You can do this anywhere. You can even do this sitting at the kitchen table as you feed your kiddo. You just need to relax the body part that isn’t being engaged. I know you have to think more to do this and that you don’t always have the luxury of maybe a full body scan and systematic relaxation — but you can sneak in a bit here or there. It all adds up.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the art of focusing on the present moment. Instead of worrying about the future or obsessing over the past, try focusing your mind on experiencing the present moment. One way to do this is to become aware of your different senses: Listen to the sounds outside your window, feel the touch of your clothes on your skin, smell the aromas of your food, appreciate the colors around you, and notice the tastes of foods when you eat.

I find this one somewhat challenging, in terms of the sensory focus. Sometimes there are a few unique smells that accompany our unique situation — but I improvise, just like I am sure you do. I might focus on how cute my daughter looks in her outfit before she drools on it. I might focus on how nice she smells after a bath. Whatever strategy you choose, taking the time to be present can really help settle the nerves some.

Sleep

A good night’s sleep will allow your body a deep and nourishing rest to heal itself; without good sleep, stress is exacerbated. To sleep well, avoid caffeine and other stimulants so that you can get an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Turn all technology off an hour before you turn off the lights. Also, turn the lights down for a while before you actually go to sleep. Use your relaxation skills to help you fall into a deeper sleep.

I have narcolepsy — so I actually struggle with getting ‘good sleep’ the most. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t try. I actually like this little reminder as I then remember that my child also needs sleep and does much better if I ensure she stays on her sleep schedule.

Final Thoughts

With these practical skills under your belt, you are equipped to combat stress — even if you can only do it in five-minute increments between meltdowns. If you combine them all into your daily routine, you will potentially see a reduction in your stress levels and an increase in your happiness levels.