Stress-Busting Tips for Self-Isolating Families
Summary: Is your family feeling a little cooped up right now? If so, you’re not alone. After months of sticking together under one roof, many families are feeling some serious tension. Thankfully, there are lots of ways to cut through that stress so you can stay safe and enjoy the togetherness brought on by the pandemic. Here are the ways you can do to combat stress especially for families.
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Is your family feeling a little cooped up right now? If so, you’re not alone. After months of sticking together under one roof, many families are feeling some serious tension. Thankfully, there are lots of ways to cut through that stress so you can stay safe and enjoy the togetherness brought on by the pandemic.
Stop Spreading Stress
Just like the virus is an invisible contagion, Psychology Today explains that stress can silently spread within your family. Studies indicate that when a parent is stressed, that stress can spread to kids, and vice versa. With that in mind, taking steps to encourage each person in the household to relax can help ward off foul moods, tension and conflicts.
Create Things
Did you know that doing something creative can make you feel better? A creative outlet can boost brain function, lift your mood, help prevent disease, alleviate anxiety and promote better immune function. What’s more, Art Teachers Info explains that doing something artistic can be particularly beneficial to kids with learning disabilities, helping them work on things like self- expression and language skills.
Why not put together a space where your family can do creative things together? Start saving some items you can upcycle into games, wall art, toys and more. With a drop cloth on the floor and an art caddy filled with fun supplies, you and the kids can bust loose with some memory- making that will fill both your hearts and your walls with beautiful things.
Fill Up On “Vitamin N”
One of the simplest ways for families to nurture their emotional and mental well-being is to get outside into nature. Some time in green space can work wonders, reducing anxiety levels and promoting happiness, and a little sunshine can boost your mood, enhance energy levels, and might even discourage overeating.
Getting your family into the great outdoors can be as simple as heading to your backyard for game time or going for a hike in a local park, just look for opportunities and ideas that fit with your family’s lifestyle.
Make Room for Me Time
Spending time together can truly be a beautiful thing, but we all need our alone time as well. Whether it’s time spent meditating, reading, digging in the garden or going for a walk, it’s critical to balance “me time” and “we time”.
Time spent solo is loaded with perks, like more productivity, better concentration, windows of self-discovery, and improved problem solving. In other words, getting away from everyone else to engage with yourself will actually benefit not only you, but also those around you.
Create Compromise
Are your hobbies and self-care choices interfering with each other? Sometimes, it happens. Maybe your house is close, so you’re sharing spaces and items a lot, or your schedules tend to overlap. One of the best ways around conflicts is to simply provide extras—so, if you’re sharing a bathroom and one person squeezes the tube of toothpaste from the top, and you’re a roll-it- from-the-bottom sort, just buy two tubes!
Along those same lines, if your partner or kids like using the TV for gaming and you’re dying to binge watch your favorite show, pick up a gaming monitor and some earbuds so everyone can do their thing. Since electronics tend to be more expensive, shop around for recommended options that fit your budget.
One way or another, you can find solutions to your space- and time-related conflicts, even if it means the compromise comes through picking up something extra. Consider it a small investment toward your family’s peace and harmony!
Connect for Coaching
Stress is really unhealthy and can have serious consequences. If your family tries various solutions and nothing seems to fit, remember you can always connect with a coach and motivator like Autumn Asphodel. Talking things through with someone who understands and knows how to help you establish more positive patterns can help you turn things around.
Is it time for your family to destress the self-isolation situation? Look for solutions that are simple but effective, and that still fit with your health and safety plan. You’ll no longer think of yourselves as stuck at home, but instead will enjoy a happier and healthier outlook.
