We all know that there are several sides of wellbeing: mental, emotional, and physical to name a few. When COVID-19 started making everyone sick, we had to downsize our day-to-day activities, leaving both our children and us parents alike stuck in the house. This also led to more down time, and in consequence, gave us a need to be creative with our new schedules. 

For some, it was quite a nice relief from the constant running to do the next thing and the high stress of it all. This downtime was just what you needed. For others, you love being busy and it became maddening not being able to be out and about. For a few, this outbreak just meant your work became harder, and it was proven how much you affect the people around you and how much you put into society. 

This is a time where none of us were prepared as much as we could have been, and it has been a time of learning. We’re learning things about our children and ourselves that wouldn’t have been able to register without this slow down, and it’s time to take note of our findings.

How are you doing in this time of chaos? How is your family doing? Have you been keeping up with healthy habits?

Mental health is a big issue in this current time, even before the coronavirus. Many people stay busy to cope with their issues. Some people even exercise in parks or gyms to help with their mental health. Obviously, this cannot happen at this point.

Physical health hugely affects mental and emotional health. How have you and your family been sleeping? In order to have a well-rested sleep, you need to burn your access energy throughout the day. 

Emotional health speaks for itself. Are you bored? Is your mind going a little crazy or unable to shut off? This is the birthplace of anxiety, and it ties back into physical and mental health.

So what could you do to help yourself and those around you? How could you encourage your family to interact and help alleviate some of the caginess? Even just have a fun time to get rid of some stress?

Here are a 5 random, yet helpful things to try out:

  • Dance parties

It’s you and your family. They love you and know you the best, so why not let your silly side out? Play your favorite songs and sing your heart out! This helps burn energy and gives you and your family some amazing memories.

  • Try new recipes!

Have an old cookbook? Grandma’s fudge from Christmases long ago? Even Google is a great resource! There are websites that help you figure out what you could make from the ingredients in your fridge.

  • Make an interactive story through arts and crafts!

This one sounds like a lot of work, but the goal isn’t the story itself. Have the family brainstorm a story line, help them to compromise when there is a disagreement, and then build! This one could go many ways. Do you have old newspapers hanging about? How about tape, glue, or paint? You could make costumes or dolls. Cardboard boxes could be made into scenes, trees, or cars! The imagination is the limit with this idea. 

  • Have an educational topic your child doesn’t understand? Find a fun way for them to understand it.

We are all familiar with “ Jane went to the store and bought 24 watermelons. She ate 8. She gave 2 away. 14 spoiled because she left them in the sun too long… ” How about we work through the problem with them? As parents, we can develop visuals, and involve coloring or art in the project. Textbooks can’t interact with your children and teach them how to better solve a problem, but a parent can.

  • Treasure hunt!

This is a very loved activity, and well as it should be. Just because we are stuck in the house doesn’t mean that we can’t explore. You could hide pieces of candy and leave clues or poems, or make special treat bags and hide them as the final jackpot. Put puzzles in the mix, and you have an event that could last hours!

The biggest part of all of these is to make your newfound excess time with your family an adventure. You have more than likely heard this, but life is short. Why let this opportunity fly by? Let’s make some amazing memories!