If stress and health are definitely connected, and life as a single parent is potentially pretty stressful, then it would stand to reason that single parents just might be more susceptible to stress-related illness. With all the long days and multiple responsibilities, our immune systems can get worn down and we can set ourselves up for illness and injury. So, what can we single parents do to keep ourselves healthy?
Stress and exhaustion can be major issues in the lives of single parents. With the crisis and stress of going through a separation and/or divorce, and the added responsibility of supporting a household and caring for our children on our own, we can easily let ourselves get run down. We also might not be eating correctly or getting enough sleep, and if we don’t have strong support systems, there may not be a lot of help when times get tough. Not to mention, since we don’t have “back-up,” we might not slow down and take care of ourselves when we do show signs of illness–so we might end up much sicker than we may have been had we been able to rest and recuperate.
The only answer is to look after our health. Stress and exhaustion make decision-making harder, caring for our children more of a challenge, and definitely make us more susceptible to illness, accidents and injury. We have to learn to let the non-essentials go and focus on health and self-care–eating right, getting as much sleep as we can, exercising, talking with friends, and finding other ways to de-stress. If taking care of yourself for the sake of your family won’t motivate you, try reminding yourself that you really can’t afford to get sick! So, watch the stress and exhaustion and work on preventing illness by taking care of yourself.
See Also: Finding Me Time as a Single Parent and Making Friends as a Single Parent