Stress management
Experiencing violence or living in an abusive relationship is a huge source of stress. There are stressful periods in life anyway for everyone. Work can be very stressful. Finding a balance between work and leisure time is not easy, and if you add the challenges of a family with children to that, it is stressful for anyone.
Home should be a source of absolute safety and recovery. If you are not safe there or have to constantly think about what to say and how to say it, or if you have to bend to the expectations of another person, you will not be able to recover from stress. It can also affect your sleep at night or cause a variety of symptoms, such as anxiety, feelings of rhythm disturbance, feelings of hopelessness, or different somatic symptoms. Escaping a violent situation or a breakup from an abusive relationship causes a stress spike, and sick leave could be useful.
You can try to reduce stress, manage it, or recover from it better. At work, you can learn to find your own boundaries: It is worth examining what is really your responsibility and remembering that you do not always have to perform perfectly. It's okay to say no to some things, and it's worth sticking to your breaks and work hours. You can consider whether there's anything extra in your life that takes up more than it brings to you, and whether you could put it on hold for a while.
Self-motivated action helps you recover from stress. Doing something just for yourself in your free time. Finding it can be difficult when living under violence or after living for a long time. Dreaming is worth it in order to get closer to something important to you. Exercise, being outdoors, staying in touch with loved ones, routines, a healthy diet and lifestyle, and getting enough sleep are the cornerstones of well-being. It is worth reviewing your own support networks, so that, for example, childcare can be successful in order to enable hobbies. If you do not have any support networks, it is worth contacting social services and telling them about your situation openly.
Clearing your mind of stressful thoughts is one tool for managing stress. It is worth trying to question your own thoughts, whether the topics of concern are realistic, and whether worrying about them can even have an effect. You can take a break from worrying and turn your mind towards calming things. If it is difficult to find such things in a stressful situation, you can try to become aware of the present moment: what sounds you hear, how your skin feels, how the position feels in your body, by focusing on your breathing, by scanning your own body.
Stress is never a reason for violence, although sometimes the perpetrator of violence invokes it. Managing stress is everyone's own responsibility, and if it becomes overwhelming, it is worth doing everything you can to find your own "tap" from which to drain the excess load. If it is difficult, it is worth seeking professional help. Until then, focus on the good, separate night and day, take a walk outside, and talk to other people. These are the first steps.
