Remaining stress-free during the coronavirus pandemic may feel close to impossible. With the continuous spread of COVID-19, many of us are still adjusting to the new norms of social distancing, wearing face masks, and staying at home all day with our children. In the process of it all, we are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety, depression and OCD.
We are all working long hours from home and trying to figure out where to put our energy since our daily routines have been disrupted. It is easy to overindulge in reading, watching, and listening to the news media. We may become forgetful of our health. While it may feel impossible to deal with our stress, it is not. I have rounded up a few tips that can help you stay grounded while you remain at home.
Keep Healthy
Maintain a healthy diet. Make sure you’re consuming enough water and eating properly to keep your body running and your immune system working well. Additionally, get plenty of exercise in, regardless of whether it consists of going for a sixty-minute walk or working out in your backyard. Set time limits on the use of electronics for your kids so they can learn to take a breather and get some fresh air. Go on a bike ride around the neighborhood. Set up obstacle courses or hopscotch as a way to get your kids moving. Consistency is key to a healthy body and a healthy mind right now. Set goals for yourself and your kids each day. It could be something as simple as creating fun, new, healthy recipes while remaining at home. Use this time as a way to experiment with some healthy meals that you and your kids will enjoy. Most importantly, bring them in on the fun!
Keep a Balance
Every parent is going to feel overwhelmed at some point throughout this quarantine, and it is perfectly okay to take an hour for yourself. Read a book, meditate, take a hot shower, drink tea, and don’t go crazy because you left the news on all day long. Find the balance of exposure that is appropriate for you. Do a quick check-in to see what’s going on in the morning and then do one more check-in at night. Throughout the day, try to maintain a positive mindset. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and listening to your body. Kids will inherit your habits, so create healthy ones. Becoming stressed and not knowing how to cope with your emotions will not do you or your children any good, and that’s where binge-eating comes into play.
On the other hand, make sure your kids have a balance with doing school work, eating properly, using electronics, getting outside for fresh air, and getting to bed on time. Our brains and bodies function better on routines. Routines help give our brains and bodies some guidance regarding what we need to accomplish throughout the day before we can unwind. So, pace yourself as if you were leaving for work each day and your kids were going to school. Treat it no differently. Limit how much of the news your children watch with you as well. While it is good for them to be informed, try not to overdo it. They are still growing and maturing, and you don’t want to overwhelm them with panic and anxiety. Lastly, your kids probably miss their friends from school and want to socialize. Don’t discourage them from that. Allow them twenty to thirty minutes of face-timing with their friends so they don’t feel like they are in complete isolation. They might turn to stress-eating and other bad habits to relieve their fears, anxiety, and depression.
