There are those that might argue with me about whether or not single parents have more physical strains, aches and pains than non-parents or coupled parents do. I do not even know if there is a single study to prove it (or disprove it), but I do think that we single parents have to watch out for our physical health and look after those aches and pains. After all, if we fall ill, who will look after our families?
Back pain, tension headaches, strained muscles—all of these can be common ailments of a single parent. We might not be inclined to take it easy or give ourselves the recuperation time we need either and this can just make things worse. If I try to do too much in one day, or haul too many heavy grocery sacks on my own, or have to spend a weekend doing maintenance and home repairs—my body is going to react. Without someone to share the heavy load, we can put ourselves at risk for getting strains, aches, and pains. Additionally, I think we might be more prone to push ourselves and end up straining our bodies in the process.
So, what can be done? First, taking care of your health and good physical fitness can help ward off injuries and aches. Regular exercise, rest and making healthy choices can build up your overall health so you are less likely to strain, bruise or break something when you have to exert yourself. Take it easy when you can and try to spread out hard physical jobs over time so you do not do too much all at once—does it really have to all get done in the next day? Finally, just because you are a single parent does NOT mean that you have to do everything on your own, we can learn how to ask for help and save those big physical jobs for times when we have someone to help us with the “big stuff.”
Also: “I Feel Like I’m Falling Apart”–8 Ways to Cope with Overwhelming Stress