I don’t know about you, but now more than ever, I am feeling the stress of being at home with my kids. This virus is confining us to small spaces, not allowing us to be social (outside of our homes) and the news is ever-so daunting these days.
So, having a background in Psychology and Crisis Intervention, I naturally understand that self care right now is so important for us all. I have put together a list of some easy self care tips that you can do at home, solo or with your kids.
Remember to Know Your Stress Level and Identify It, Practice Self Care and Ask for help when you need it!
Easy Self Care Tips to Practice
Exercise
You don’t have to start a crazy new fad-online fitness routine, but just move your body. Get those endorphins flowing. Try stretching, going for a small walk (not in a public area), put on some free online workouts and move. It’s so easy to get stuck just sitting on the couch watching Netflix, but try and do something active for at least 15-30 minutes a day.
Limit Your Time Online/Watching the News
Anytime you open a social media app or turn on the tv is news of the Coronavirus and it can be a lot. Schedule a time during the day that you update yourself and then stop there. It’s easy to get caught up in every news source, every article and every post. Try and limit that time per day and see what that does for your mental health.
Schedule Some Alone Time
Take a bath, read a chapter of a book you’ve wanted to get to, sit on your patio with a glass of wine. Whatever you need to do. For me, being in a house with my family all day, every day has been A LOT. I am used to my space, and now having to share it has made me go a little crazy in this first week. Whatever it is that you like to do, schedule it and then stick to it.
Think About What You’re Grateful For
This is a great activity to do on your own or to include your kids. You can journal it, or put it up in your kitchen and write a list out with your kids. Add one item a day and then you can reflect back on it at the end of each week. I love this exercise as it puts back into perspective all the good things we are grateful for and maybe didn’t have the time to do before.
Cook and Bake
You probably have some free time on your hands now that you are stuck at home. So, check out some recipes and try them out. We have some great ones on our site that you can try to by clicking here. Baking with the kids is also a great idea, just remember that there will be a huge mess and many frustrations, but throw that aside, have zero expectations and just get messy and have some fun!
Watch Something Funny
There are plenty of shows to catch up on and movies. Download Disney Plus or Prime Video and if all else fails, ask a friend for their Netflix password. There is nothing wrong with sitting around and watching some tv if that’s what you need. No judgments here.
Listen to a Podcast
I love a good podcast and there are so many great ones out there! Download some podcasts and start listening while you are cooking, cleaning or hanging out with the kids. You will get to learn something new, be inspired and hell it helps to kill the time with the long weeks ahead of us!
Here are some of my favourite podcasts right now:
- Slumber Party with Amanda Jewson
- Here For Her Podcast
- Crime Junkie Podcast
- The Papaya Podcast
- Moms That Say F*ck
- Inner Momalogue Podcast (coming soon!)
Know That You Are Not Alone
Everyone is going through the same thing, some in worse situations than others. So now is a great time to pick up your phone, Facetime, Skype, Whatsapp a friend, parent, grandparent right now. Check in on the people you love and have a conversation. It will help with the feeling of isolation to connect with others “face to face”.
Schedule Your Day
This has really helped in our house this last week. We have 2 parents working from home, a toddler and a 5 month old. So, we have to schedule the day. Now to be honest, the schedule has gone to hell a few of those days but it has been nice to have something to follow. We input our break times/working times and then scheduled toddler activities/naps/snacks. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just something that everyone can follow. Setting the expectation for the day is a lot easier than just flying by the seat of your pants.
Make Yourself a Priority
Hopefully these tips are useful. Just remember to make yourself a priority in these upcoming weeks. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Fill up your cup first and you and your family will be better for it. Remind your partner to also schedule in time for themselves. Keep up the communication and get through it together. And if all else fails, WINE + COFFEE are your friends!
Stay healthy and Keep Practicing Social Distancing,
-Amanda
