It’s probably safe to say that there isn’t a single person who hasn’t experienced the desire to stay home and hide from the world at large. Not having to go into the office, deal with traffic, or endure another day at school seems like something out of a dream. After almost a year of many of us having to do those very things, it’s clear it’s beginning to take its toll on families everywhere. While spending a few days inside can be a valuable recuperative experience, keeping our spirits up over months of isolation can be challenging.
“There are other words for privacy and independence. They are isolation and loneliness.”
– Megan Whalen Turner
What We Can Do To Support Our Families Mental Health
Over the past year, we have seen work transferred to an at-home affair, schools shut down, and time with friends and family replaced with months spent at home. Cabin fever was a foregone conclusion, especially for social butterflies who thrived on human contact. At this point, cabin fever is a long past memory, and despair and loneliness is the reality that many face in their day to day lives. As a result, it’s become critically important to learn how to maintain the mental health of ourselves and our family without putting us at risk.
- Exercise – Staying physically active is an important part of keeping ourselves emotionally and physically healthy. Talking walks in remote areas is still possible as you merely need to stay more than 2 meters away from people and stay masked. Yoga doesn’t require equipment, and options are available for making a home-made gym with only a pillow, sofa, and/or chair. Dancing is another good option, and there’s plenty of music and instructions available for free online.
- Routine – Keeping a steady routine is another valuable tool in your kit for maintaining your family’s spirits. Keeping to a schedule helps to keep things normal, which helps to bring a sense of comfort and sense to our days. Regularly scheduled meals, bedtimes, and recreational activities like time for gaming and TV can help keep things on track.
- Sleep – Speaking of sleep, this is one of the essential things you can do to help keep yourself balanced. While it is possible to get too much sleep, having a regular sleep schedule can help keep you feeling bright and refreshed and is something of a panacea for your soul.
By keeping these three elements in mind, you’ll be helping yourself, and your family stay on track during isolation.
“We don’t heal in isolation, but in community.”
― S. Kelley Harrell
Work With A Therapist For More In-Depth Guidance
These tips are an excellent start, but every individual and certainly every family have their own challenges to face. Reaching out to a licensed therapist can provide even more insight into what you can do to keep your family hopeful and on track until the pandemic is over.
