Prevent Stress Overload as the School Year
Begins in West Des Moines IA

It's that time of year again! School is back in session. These last few weeks, I've heard many complaints about increased stress and anxiety for children and parents. The abrupt change in schedule and going from school, to game, to practice, to cooking dinner... It seems never ending.

With the kids going back to school in West Des Moines IA, you'd think things would be LESS stressful for parents and children. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

Vero Health Center provides a few suggestions on how you can reduce the amount of stress and anxiety you and your family will face in the coming weeks as the school year continues into full swing.

Get on a schedule and stick to it.

Both you and your children need consistency and routine to stay on schedule and limit stress. Children have a tendency to respond positively to routine. Get a dry erase board for each of your children and help them write their schedule. Go ahead and make it colorful and fun while you're at it!

You and your kids will feel less stress if they are aware which days they need their shoes for gym class!

Make time for downtime in West Des Moines IA!

In today's world, busy seems to be the new normal. Unfortunately, that causes overload and stress for all. Set some time aside, could be 2 hours or 2 days, you get to choose. Use this time to focus on your children and bond with them. Play board games, share stories and laugh a LOT.

This will allow you to create memories with your family and build stronger relationships. I know my family and I enjoy that time weekly!

Let your body and mind recover.

Recovery is the most important piece for residents in West Des Moines IA. Your body has to produce extra energy when stress levels increase, which in turn puts more stress on your body and causes fatigue, which in turn increases stress levels and so on and so forth. See the never ending pattern here?

Any issues with the function of your nervous system or muscles can prevent your body from being able to handle stress the way it needs to. Most of us have underlying issues that we can't feel or see. These issues keep our bodies from functioning properly, which has long term effects on our health and mind.

At Vero Health Center in West Des Moines IA, we use NASA technology to assess how our bodies function to locate the exact problem areas and a thermal scan to see muscle activity and energy production levels. This information will tell us what needs to be done to reduce stress on your body significantly! From there, the recovery process can begin.

Don't forget about relaxation.

Relaxation seems like a dream to most of us this time of year, but it is critical to stress reduction. Give yourself 5 to 10 minutes a day to allow your mind to be at peace, without distractions.

You can meditate, spend time in the Word, practice breathing exercises, do yoga or really any type of peaceful activity. Working out counts, but time alone in the car running errands does not… sorry!

If you're interested in learning more about how we can help you at Vero Health Center and your family reduce anxiety all year long, click here.

Do you have any additional suggestions on stress management this time of year? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts, questions or suggestions! We would love to hear from you!