Pandemic. Most people were very unfamiliar with this word a few months ago. Now, it’s sadly a part of our new reality. And additionally, many parents are focused on their families, how to support themselves financially, and the near future.
But… What about you?
Mental health is something that not many people spend much time thinking about. Now is a time when many people are struggling with their mental health due to a continuous wave of stress.
What can I do to alleviate some of my stress?
In this blog post, I wanted to give a variety of self-care options for parents whom haven’t thought that far, due to a variety of other things on their mind.
- Get connected to see other friends and parents via Skype, Google Hangouts, or Zoom. *Talking with others is a great way to relieve stress, see how others are doing, and to see others’ perspectives about the current situation.
- Do an at home workout. *Exercise helps to release stress and tension from your body and helps improve your overall mood by releasing endorphins (the “feel good” chemical) into your body.
- Make a homemade meal. *Cooking takes a while, but is a great, tasty use of time.
- Listen to music. *Music is known for its many benefits such as relieving anxiety, improving your overall mood, and more.
- Color, paint, or make a craft. *Who said coloring is just for kids? Exploring with different mediums of art is a great way to improve focus, and like the other reasons previously listed, helps to reduce stress and anxiety!
6. Read a book. *Reading is a great distraction and great form of entertainment that can take your mind off of things for awhile.
7. Take some time for yourself. *Sometimes, there will be a time where you need to be alone. Take this time to think, breathe, and relax. Light a candle, take a bath, or take a walk.
8. Play video games. *What? Video Games? Yes. Playing video games helps to stimulate relaxation, improves problem solving skills, promotes multitasking skills, and is a great way to bring families together in friendly competition.
9. Have a movie-marathon with your family. *What better time is there than now to watch all eight movies of the Harry Potter series?
10. Create DIY STEM projects to work on with your family. *Schools are starting to integrate more STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) projects into their lessons. What better way to kill time than to make a birdhouse or plant a garden?
11. Have a family game night. *During hard times, nothing is better than having quality time spent with your family over snacks, games, and great memories being made.