The Covid-19 pandemic has bring along a huge burden of change, uncertainty, worry, and stress in our lives. Besides that, it has also dampened many of our usual activities with the restriction orders and what not. Families spend more time indoor and seeing less of their families and friends. It is thus no wonder that mental health, especially those of children, are taking a toll. A crucial key in reducing pressure lies in taking good care of our mental health.
Here are 6 ways we could take care of our family’s mental health :
1. Express emotion
One of the easiest way to reduce stress is by expressing one’s emotion. Sharing our feelings with a family member, friend or even writing it down in a journal is very helpful in venting our feelings. Sharing our feelings does not mean that we are weak or in need of a solution, but rather as a way to clear our minds. One can be open when expressing emotion, but be careful not to be obsessed. Sometimes talking too much could also lead to stress.
Parents can help children express their emotions by having a heart to heart talk or have children engage in art. Art is a good way for children to subconsciously draw out their feelings. Parents could also easily understand their children’s feelings through their drawings.
2. Create a routine
Being pent up at home whole day, everyday, does not mean that we should let our lives go haywire. Having a routine bring structure to the day. However, a routine during work or study from home days would be very different from our routines before the pandemic started. Therefore, we willl need to make adjustments to our daily routine during this time.
A routine, be it morning or evening routine, helps in keeping expectations and duty in order. It would greatly benefits children in particular as children tend to prefer a structured life. A day without direction or expectation makes children restless.
3. Focus on what you can, not what you cannot
It is not advisable to go out in public, crowded places during the pandemic. Some countries even have a law forbidding children under the age of 12 to be out of the house, unless it is for emergency or medical reason. This cause a lot of restlessness among children and parents as well. Besides that, there are many other things that we could not do with the coronavirus still preying around us. The days of family outings or dates with friends seemed so far away. All these bring stress and feeling of resentment.
However, instead of focusing on what we cannot do, it would be advisable to focus on what we can do instead. It is true that we can’t go to the cinema at this point of time, but we can have a family movie night together. Instead of traveling, we can take this time to research on our next holiday destination to make it a memorable one. There are tons of stuff we can do. Focusing on these would bring our mind off the stress of being surrounded by an unseen enemy.
4. Take a break from screen
Working from home or having online classes means our eyes are glued to the screen most of the time. Not only the blue light from screens stress our eyes, it could also affect our brains whereby it causes us to be more alert, active and thus having difficulty falling asleep at night. Sleeplessness lead to more fatigue and stress, and the cycle repeats. Children who had been having virtual classes since the start of the pandemic reported symptoms of headache, dried eyes, being more agitated and general weakness.
When working on the computer at home, follow the 20-20-20 rule: Look away from the screen every 20 minutes and visually focus on something about 20 feet away for about 20 seconds before resuming whatever you are working on. Parents should set a reminder, such as a pop up screen at children’s devices, to get them into this habit. A break would be much helpful, both physical and mentally.
5. Remember the body and mind connection
Our body and mind are connected that what one lack would affect the well-being of the other. Therefore, it is important to nourish both our body and mind by having adequate exercise, nutrients and sleep. If possible, go out to the sun everyday or open the windows to the sunshine soak in. Staying at home and not having to wake up early to commute to work or school does not mean we could stay up all night. Sleep deprivation is the start of many other ailments.
Parents should encourage children to go outdoor everyday. Even a stroll at own’s backyard would be good to let the fresh air and sunshine go into our systems.
6. Be in the present
Clear your mind by being in the present. This would not be easy if your love one is sick or you have just lost your job. However, being caught up in a mental web of ‘what if’ does not help either. Clear your mind by being mindful of the present or meditate to reduce stress. Play some relaxing music and just let go of your mind.
Being in the present does not mean that we should ignore our problems. It is merely a period to let your mind taking a much needed rest. With a clear mind, one can think more objectively and could even found the solution to one’s problem.
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