Covid 19 - What Can Families To Do Manage Lockdown Positively?

Mindfulness In Families During Covid 19

Hi Everyone,

Firstly, I hope you are well and staying safe at home!

It is currently Week 3 for me in full lock down here in Spain. As we have seen drastic figures that have surpassed China, the Spanish President has made the decision for extreme measures of a full lockdown. This means only walking solo with a dog, no walks, staying at home, only going the shops for necessary food shopping, pharmacies, doctors, hospitals. It is prohibited to access the beach, any parks, all restaurants, cafes, areas of social gatherings, hotels all closed down. Due to the economic climate here in Spain, it relies a great deal on tourism, especially in Southern Spain where I am, this ultimately is having a detrimental effect on independent businesses and even larger businesses are struggling, therefore a lockdown is required now for businesses to recover sooner !:( Most individuals are adhering to the rules which is great as we are really seeing positive results, that being a decline in new cases and more individuals recovering! For that reason alone, fills me full of positivity despite being on full lock down which incurs it's challenges with a young family!

So, What can we do to keep sane during these times and also keep our children positive and happy? Here are a few pointers....

1. Structure Your Day - Yes, we are all guilty of this I am sure... that we haven't always kept to these guidelines, myself included! Some days we feel more energetic than others and it's a real test of your mental health. However, It really does help improve your mind set when you have a structure to your day and for your family! After breakfast, My Daughter gets on with her home schooling, then late morning she likes to do some exercises on our terrace which makes her feel happy, I sometimes join in, then she gets on with some more of her school work after lunch. She always makes time to chat online with her friends, reading, we do games or drawing , watch a movie, have a pamper session (She's 14 so into all that stuff!) She's even had me doing Tik Tok videos with her! Haha I also have a 19 month old Boy which is a little more complicated to structure during these times, we have good days and bad! It's important that when you have those days that don't go to plan, to not let that get to you so much and think oh well 'tomorrow is another day!' Try not to get too overwhelmed, its difficult having a family at home.. all with different needs and wants and varying emotions. If you are working from home, it can be extremely difficult with all the distractions in your household. Set your time for work, have breaks to do something with the family in between, support each other in schedules eg helping with housework, helping kids with home school etc. It's important to be aware of what each other needs to do and respecting that time they need also!
2. Look After Your Mental Health- It's important to take time out for yourself, even if its to have a cup of tea and a book with the radio on in the background on your terrace, in your garden, in your bedroom away from the rest of the family for a bit. Even having a long soak in the bath, us parents need that downtime and 'Self-Care'. It's important to do this when you feel you are getting overwhelmed, the atmosphere is becoming stressful and arguments arising etc. This is the time, when you go away and take a deep breath and have your own time for a short while. Self-care is important!
3. Look After Your Childs/Teens Mental Health - Well, depending on the age...the emotional needs vary and what children are aware of. Obviously, My 19 month old hasn't a clue that we are in full lock down during a virus outbreak and just wants to get on having fun but also wondering why he is not having his usual routine of social activities therefore making him frustrated and having too much energy which has been affecting his sleep routine ( and also mine!!! I think I'm actually sleep typing this!! HAHA) My 14 year old Daughter is more aware of the situation and with the easy access of online news, social media etc in a lot of ways has more of a negative impact on mental health, she has worries, frustrations for not being able to go out, not seeing her friends, suffering boredom in the house, disciplining herself for school work and keeping herself busy can be a challenge some days when she is feeling low. At that point, I have to encourage her and we do some positive fun activities together such as exercise, pampering, I help her with her school work, encourage her to write her feelings down in a journal etc, do some baking together etc check out https://www.mindup.org.uk/mindup-activities/ for Free Resource and activities.
4. Limit Social Media - I know in a lot of ways it's helping us connect with friends, school work, work colleagues, checking out the positive news etc to lift our spirits, educational fun activities we can get involved with in groups etc. There is also the negative side such as viewing too much negative news...I've been guilty of this one and it really does dampen your mood for the day and increase anxiety and stress and the same if my Daughter start's reading it...her mood changes for the worst! Have a limited time on social media and make the most of doing family things like good old fashioned games, baking, cooking, watching a feel good movie together, do a family project...a great one is a time capsule for our future self of this very moment which includes photographs, logging our daily activities, a journal of our emotions, things we have always wanted to accomplish which we did during lockdown. Setting challenges for yourself and seeing if you achieve them by the end of lockdown. We are soon in the real world again when we can have limited time with our families and we will look back on this time and really appreciate it the experience!
5. Practice Mindfulness - You may have heard this word on various occasions. Mind Up Organisation founded by Goldie Hawn has some amazing activities online for families during this lockdown which can be a learning curve for everyone in the family to stay calm and feel gratitude. It's important we put our phones down and appreciate each other and be mindful of our family members feelings and if they are having a bad day, rather than argue, ask how you can change it, what would they like to do to make themselves feel better. Check out the wonderful www.mindup.org.uk for further information on getting through these challenging times in a fun, healthy way as a family supporting each other and those around you! For example, as a family, think about your elderly/vulnerable neighbours that you could help? You could slip a note under their door with your telephone number asking if they would like any shopping picking up, you can then leave it outside their door! This will really help their mental health knowing their are people around supporting them so they don't feel vulnerable or anxious! If you can see them over a garden fence or balcony, give them a wave and chat to them from a distance ask how they are feeling? Just having a chat with them cures the loneliness and means a great deal! The most important thing and its basic however we as a modern nation have lost that art of communication...GET TALKING! Talk to each other, ask how each other are feeling on a daily basis, make jokes, laugh together and smile together, talk about old memories etc This is a great bonding time...make the most of it! :)
6. Eat healthily - Again, been guilty of this one on the odd day but happy to report that most days eating extremely healthy with good home cooked foods. It's important more than ever to boost your immune system with healthy veggies, fruit and immune boosting ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, garlic etc and also drinking plenty of water. A great one is boiled water with lemon every morning to boost your system and start the day! It's ok to have the odd treats as well but as we are less active than we normally would be, this can make you feel more sluggish and tired and can also have a negative impact on your mental health. Like the old saying goes...'Everything in moderation!'...although my Daughter yesterday did make a delicious strawberry cheesecake that I couldn't resist! Haha The odd glass of red wine I have been having also which is healthy in moderation too and keeps you relaxed, doesn't hurt anyone as long as you don't over do it and feel more tired than you were originally!
7. Exercise - I do try and do some every day as I am not getting my usual exercise from long walks etc. There are some great workouts on YouTube and live classes from your local teachers etc Check out Facebook communities, pages etc for such classes. It's fun, you see some faces as well as exercising keeping your brain and body fit!
8. Getting Creative - Now this is a great one and right up my street! I have to do a lot of creative things anyway with my little one such as finger painting, drawing etc and with my 14 year old we look for creative projects such as creating a canvas to put on the wall etc, recycling containers into glam storage for your bedroom etc Pinterest amazing for this...for all ages and anything you want to create. Youtube is another great platform, get creative on camera...record your experiences online to inspire others etc set up a YouTube channel and do weekly challenges etc My Daughter is a big fan of YouTube and is a fan of various vloggers getting creative ideas from them.

That was 8 of my ideas to get through these surreal times and remember to always feel gratitude for every day! If one thing this has taught us, is to appreciate each other, appreciate our health services, our food source providers, our earth around us and the importance of being kind! Stay safe everyone! Love to All! xx