Tools for Your Toolbox: Stress Management

By Mathew Finlay, Silverdale Baptist Academy School Counselor Contact Mr. Finlay

Stress!

Let's face it. Stress is a word we are all too familiar with. As parents, you navigate the stress of work and being a parent on a daily basis. Not only do you have your own stress to deal with, you also have that of your children. Stress about school, relationships, college, sports and many other things. So what can you do? What should you do? How can you help?

I have no doubt that with the time we have missed due to the inclement weather the past few weeks, your students are feeling the heat (no pun intended). Make-up work, lessons to catch up on, assignments to do and relationships to nurture. As parents you accept the responsibility to help your children navigate this in a healthy way. The reality is that often our students - your children - do not have the coping skills necessary to deal with the stress that they experience. I want to give you some helpful tips and friendly advice on how you can help your children:

1. Fix your eyes on Jesus: I have no doubt it is so easy for parents to see their children struggling, worried and concerned, and immediately desire to ‘fix’ everything for them. Scripture tells us in Matthew 6:26 that God cares for the birds of the air, how much more important are you? Remember that God loves your children more than you do. Turn your eyes toward Him and focus on His goodness.
2. Direct your children to do the same: Peter got out of the boat and walked on water before he began to sink. Let us never forget that this man was bold enough to climb out of the boat, in a storm, and to actually walk on water. Not because of his courage or his boldness but because of his faith and the fact he had his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. God will provide our students every need if they will turn to him. Help them do that through daily prayer and time spent in His Word.
3. Rest!: Our students need sleep. It is estimated that a teenager needs between 8 and 9 hours of sleep a night. Please note that teenagers need more sleep than adults (6-8 hours). As parents you need to take the lead and make sure your children are in bed and resting.
4. Eat healthy: This does not necessarily mean feeding your children salads every night for dinner. However, a healthy, balanced diet is not “a cookie in each hand”. You need to make sure your children are eating fruits, vegetables and drinking water throughout the day. They also need to eat breakfast. It is a myth our students believe that it is more beneficial to skip breakfast and sleep an extra 20-30 minutes.
5. Exercise: This doesn’t have to be training for a marathon. Simply going for a walk can be enough to raise the heart rate a little, which in turn will release endorphins that are a natural stress reliever.

We love your children and want to do anything we can to support them.

Have a blessed week!