How Parents can Manage Emotional Vulnerabilities

Do you ever wonder why you sometimes find yourself acting up or lashing out from intense emotions? It’s possible that you’re being triggered by your emotional vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities are underlying factors that make it more likely for a person to act emotionally. Managing your vulnerabilities will make it easier for you to think levelheadedly, practice a DBT skill, and move towards an effective response to your emotions. This is easier said than done. Parents can be especially vulnerable to their emotions because they’re investing more time in their children and less time in themselves. When healthy self-care practices are neglected, it can leave people more emotionally vulnerable. Luckily, learning how to manage these specific vulnerabilities can help you avoid acting in irrational ways.

Start managing your emotional vulnerabilities with the PLEASE skills. PLEASE skills can help you, as a parent, regain emotional control when in distress while interacting with your children and others. By caring for yourself, you can gradually become less susceptible to your emotional vulnerabilities.

Treat Physical Illness. If you’re sick, it will be difficult to take care of others. Remember to take care of your body and rest when you are sick. Take medication as prescribed and follow a steady vitamin regimen.

Balanced Eating: If you’re not fueling your body properly and consistently, it will leave you more susceptible to vulnerabilities, such as irritability or lethargy. Eat anything in moderation and be mindful of nutritional needs. Listen to your body’s cravings and eat scheduled meals. Most importantly, practice mindful eating and avoid skipping meals.

Avoid Mood Altering Substances: Avoid illegal drugs and drinking alcohol in moderation. Drug and alcohol use can contribute to feelings of guilt, feeling physically unwell, as well as emotion minded decisions and behaviors while under the influence.

Balanced Sleep: Practice good sleep hygiene by ensuring that you’re clocking adequate hours each night. As a parent, it might feel more difficult to achieve this. However, it is critical you’re much more likely to become emotionally vulnerable when sleep is neglected. 

Get exercise: Do something active everyday! Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise can increase your mind. Moving your body gets blood flowing and releases built up tension. It can be tremendously beneficial to your overall wellness to make time for movement.

As a parent, it might feel as though you always have to be “on.” Sometimes, constantly being alert and attentive can impact your ability to emotionally regulate. Practice PLEASE skills to care for yourself and manage your vulnerabilities while parenting.