In honor of Father’s Day and Men’s Health Month during June, this post is dedicated to all of the working dads out there. The modern day father has a vast amount of responsibilities and commitments all vying for his attention. The responsibilities of working and building a career, sharing a household and raising children can all be overwhelming. As these men continue to burn the candle at both ends, this may lead to large amounts of stress. If you’re juggling overtime at work while meeting the changing needs of your family, you’re probably one of these men facing stress on a daily basis.
According to a Stress in America Survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, it was found that 50 percent of men were concerned about their stress level. Men, more often than women, said stress negatively affected various aspects of their lives such as job satisfaction (50 percent of men vs. 40 percent of women) and their overall satisfaction with life (45 percent of men vs. 38 percent of women).
With Father’s Day just around the corner and Men’s Health Month recognized during June, this marks a perfect time of the year to make an effort towards changing how you handle your stress. During the next few weeks, you may want to consider these tips to help you better deal with and control your stress immediately:
- Make sure you educate yourself to help prevent any potential health risks or issues. Anchored by a Congressional health education program, Men’s Health Month is celebrated across the country with screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities. These events are a perfect way to educate yourself on men’s health issues. Consider attending some of these events in your area. You can find a listing of all upcoming events on the Men’s Health Month website.
- Identify causes of stress. How do you know when you are stressed? What triggers your stressful feelings? Are they related to your children and family, finances, your workplace, friendships or something else? Once you’ve identified the trigger, you can get down to the root of your stress and find the best ways to handle it.
- Think about how you deal with stress. You could either deal with stress via unhealthy actions such as sleep deprivation or consuming junk foods, or consider healthy, stress-reducing activities like exercising or playing sports. A simple way to start can be as easy as eating well and getting enough rest. Good nutrition and six to eight hours of sleep each night will not only help your body recover from past stress, it will also prepare you to better deal with new stress that may come your way.
- Grow a strong support system. Who do you talk to when you’re stressed? Do you talk to anyone at all? Some men prefer to suppress any feelings of anxiety or stress, which can be extremely unhealthy. Instead, why don’t you use the support of loved ones and friends during stressful times? If someone offers a hand of support, accept this gesture and open up. It’ll take off some of the edge you’re feeling and you’ll feel a weight lifted off your shoulders.
- Don’t take on more than you can handle at work. Avoid creating your own stress by over-scheduling and failing to say no when too much is asked. Don’t overpromise, and give yourself time to finish the things you do agree to tackle. Ask for help if you can’t meet all the demands placed on you. You may want to consider talking to your boss to figure out solutions for problems at work.
- Finally, don’t forget to reward yourself for a job well done. When you accomplish a personal goal or finish a project, do something nice for yourself. Many times, fathers do a job well done but don’t expect any sort of recognition in return. However, it can be nice to reward yourself from time to time. Consider something as simple as going out for a round of golf with friends or taking a weekend getaway with your spouse and children. Celebrating your achievements between projects or tasks can help take the edge off and prepare you for the next challenge that lies ahead.
While these are only a few starting tips for working fathers, we hope they will help. Being a father in the workplace can be stressful, however, it’s how you handle the stress that will make the difference. We hope you consider some of these tips throughout the month to better handle those stressful situations that may come your way.
To all of our working fathers, have a safe and happy Father’s Day!
Fatherhood Balancing Act Takes a Toll on Men’s Health – American Psychological Association
Is work-life balance possible for today’s dads? – Jason Scheck, sedgewickcounty.org
