You know the feeling. Light seeps through your curtains, and as your eyes stutter open, the thought smacks you awake:More than one year on from the arrival of the pandemic Australians are reporting heightened levels of stress and anxiety with new research identifying the morning – specifically 7am – as the peak time for stress.Simon Schluter
“There’s kind of been this existential sort of crisis going on” – brought on by the pandemic – “where people are really asking themselves, what is the meaning of life, you know, what is important to me... and does [my] company have values that align with my values?” she says. And dawn, she adds, is when people often feel they “suddenly” need to do something about it.
“This is actually a point at which I think many families feel really acute pain in the mornings, in distress, and they’re trying to work with ‘How do I show love and care and responsiveness to my children’s needs and basically be run by a clock?’ [But] love and care and needs don’t run by a clock.”Firstly, working carers should be reassured that they are not alone, says Strazdins.
Parents need to create a plan to facilitate getting their children out the door with as few obstacles as possible. “And understand where their children are coming from and work around that,” she says. Aimee Brennon is all too familiar with pre-work stress. Three years ago, her mind would start reeling as soon as she woke up.