It is easy to get mentally caught up with the current state of affairs, now more than ever. Taking good care of your mental health during this crisis is just as important as the well being of your physical body. Here are some thoughts:
We have always been “walkers”, but it is so nice to see families out on the street going for walks (keeping social distance of course). Usually we are the only ones on the street during our walk, yesterday we saw 4 other families out for a early evening stroll. This is the perfect opportunity for families to create new health habits and spend time moving outdoors with their loved ones.
Taking time at home has given us the opportunity to do more home cooking and even the chance to teach our children cooking skills. Perhaps more people will get back to cooking roots and start learning how to make things from scratch, the old fashioned way. Shaun has started a sourdough “mother” and we are curious about this cooking experiment - this is something we would not be doing if things were “normal”.
Social media is a blessing and a curse. I never feel good after scrolling on social media at the best of times. Now, it’s even worse. I’m going to make a stronger effort to avoid chasing stories down the social media rabbit hole. Does it enrich my life or does it leave me feeling more stressed and worried about the current situation?
On that note, we’ve turned off the radio, as constant COVID news can break down nerves. We listen to music on CBC radio 2 or spotify. Even better, we are listening to learning podcasts. Listening to history podcasts that talk about other times in history distracts the brain and reminds us that history is literally happening now and life will continue.
When I was feeling especially blue after listening to the radio and reading online stories, I decided to switch my content and looked at happy pictures and videos of my children. Trying to see the world through their eyes makes dealing with today much more simple.
Staying curious and engaging with the world around you is a great way to stay distracted. Pick a question you’ve always wondered about and take some time to look it up. We have a guitar at home and I feel like it’s the perfect time for some online lessons!
Physical activity calms the mind. Even if you do not have a yoga trapeze or set of weights you can still get creative! Play ‘the floor is lava’ with the kids, do a yoga class online, try out a new workout on YouTube, go for walks or runs outside (social distance in check), use the cans in the pantry as weights, stretch, clean your house - anything that get’s your heart pumping counts!
For now, we have nothing but time. What are the projects that you’ve put back until you had more time to do? Things like updating a blog, organizing family pictures, cleaning up your desktop or rearranging the furniture, no time like the present to work on those projects!
If feelings start to overwhelm you, reach out - friends and family are only a FaceTime away. Also, grandparents would probably love to FaceTime with the kids!
Check our the post on “Mindfulness and Meditation” by clicking HERE.