How chronic stress physically rewires your brain
February 21, 2025
Family can be our greatest source of love and support – but it can also be a significant source of stress. From everyday disagreements to major life changes, family tensions can affect everyone in the family, from young children to grandparents. Furthermore, how families handle stress can have a lasting impact on family members’ relationships, emotional wellness, and physical health.
Some of the most common stressors for families include:
Learning how to navigate stress together can drastically improve your family’s resilience and wellbeing. By recognizing common sources of family stress and taking proactive steps to manage them, families can become a source of strength and comfort for one another.
Source: Mental Health America created by CompareCamp.com
of parents expressed concern for their child(ren)’s social life or development
of adults report work stress affects their personal relationships.
of men report work stress affects their personal relationship with their spouse compared to 61% for women.
of adults reported experiencing stress caused by a friend or loved one’s long-term health condition.
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Throughout childhood, kids can experience stress from their home environment, changes at school, experiencing rejection, navigating the internet, or even making new friends. Teaching children stress management skills from a young age, such as deep breathing, basic meditation, or yoga, can improve their ability to cope with stressors for the rest of their life.
Studies have shown that introducing mindfulness techniques to children can reduce their anxiety and behavior problems. Furthermore, practicing stress management with your children can be an opportunity to connect with your child and relax together.
FREE coloring and activity book for kids ages 8 to 12
Did you know connecting with friends and family is a great way to cope with stress? This free book from the National Institute of Mental Health teaches children about stress and anxiety and offers healthy tips for coping.
1. Model healthy behaviors. As a parent, it’s important to be a positive role model for your children. However, it is easy to fall into eating fast food, becoming more sedentary, or not getting enough sleep when you are stressed. Children are more likely to lead a healthy lifestyle if the whole family does so.
Ask yourself: Do I respond to stress in healthy ways? How can I improve my coping skills?
2. Talk about it. If you notice that your children are looking worried or stressed, encourage them to discuss their feelings with you. Work together to understand and address any stressors your children are experiencing. Low levels of parental communication have been associated with poor decision making among children and teens.
Ask yourself: Do my kids feel safe discussing stressful topics with me? What stress management techniques can I practice with them?
3. Create a healthy environment. Your home, workspace, and social environment influence your behaviors, and existing in an environment full of clutter, mess, and noise can raise stress levels. Decluttering your environment can bring calm to everyone in the household. Look around your home, office, and even your car.
Ask yourself: Do the spaces I live and work in feel clear and relaxing? What can my family declutter together?
4. Make gradual changes. Changing behaviors takes time, and trying to make several healthy changes at once can feel overwhelming. Start by changing one behavior at a time, such as eating healthier foods, being more physically active, getting better sleep, or spending more time together. Then, once your family has acclimated to the adjustment, tackle another change.
Ask yourself: What is a small change my family can try to make together? What is our least-healthy habit right now?
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