Everyone deals with stress and loss differently. My empathy gets the best of me and I get very emotional very quickly. Penn, on the other hand, plays the class clown. He keeps the mood light and the energy positive, especially when things get tough. You will rarely see Penn get upset. The stress we’ve been going through with his aging parents has been really hard. Even though Penn is upbeat, we know stress is still impacting his body because it is manifesting itself in another way. Hair loss. Yes, you heard it here first. One of Penn’s defining features, his hair, may be on its way out. At least temporarily.
Put Your Oxygen Mask on First
What if you took a morning or an afternoon off for yourself? Would the world stop turning? Someone messaged us on Facebook recently with the great advice to make sure we ‘put our own oxygen mask on first.’ Being in a sandwich generation of taking care of parents and children at the same time, means self-care is hard to come by. It is so important to make sure you are taking good care of yourself during stressful times to let yourself relax, process, and grieve. For me, stress can impact my body with digestive and skin issues if I am not releasing it properly. Whether it be working out, taking a walk, or doing nothing at all, make sure you take a moment for yourself.
Bailing Kim Out of Jail
We also talk about dealing with loss in kids’ sports (weird segue, we know) and how sometimes the best parenting you can do is letting your kids figure it out for themselves. I share a secret strategy on how to deal with difficult people—like when the Mama Bear inside of me wants to throat punch a 9-year-old. This is a direct quote from the podcast. Penn seriously thought he might need to bail me out of jail during that game. I am still a little triggered over it.
Are you dealing with aging parents or just stress in general? What tips do you have that you can share with us? Join our private Facebook group so we can get all your good advice and listen to the show for more!
