Mental health is defined as our emotional, social and psychological well-being. The state of our mental health has an influence on how we think, feel and act throughout our lives. Having good mental health is important at every stage of life and should be encouraged from a young age. It is crucial not to neglect our mental health during this time of change and uncertainty.
The new normal of working from home, teaching children at home and a lack of social life may bring about feelings of anxiety, fear and frustration. Therefore, maintaining good mental health is needed to cope with life’s stresses, help us work productively and have meaningful relationships with our loved ones.
Here are five ways to take care of your mental health at home:
1. Establish a routine
There are many things we cannot control now but what we can control is how we spend our time. A daily routine or schedule is important to keep your mind engaged and help you look forward to accomplishing new things each day. There is comfort in planning out your day and ticking things off your to-do list. Take some time to create a weekday and weekend routine for yourself and your children. Carve out time for work, making meals, buying essentials, exercise and rest. The same goes for your children where they can follow a timetable for online lessons, homework and play. It is also good to wake up and go to sleep around the same time every day, and make sure you get enough sleep every night.
2. Have good digital habits
There is no doubt that we have to be informed of the news and what’s happening around us. At the same time, there is plenty of misinformation and fake news that can cause concern and anxiety during this period. Make sure to always verify a piece of news before sharing it with friends and family. It is easy to be on our mobile devices the entire day consuming information because we are at home. Therefore, it is a good idea to designate a certain amount of time to read the news, surf the web and scroll through social media feeds each day. The same advice can be applied to your children too. After a certain time, all mobile devices should be shut off. In addition, you can also spend your time online to look up beneficial things such as recipes, skills, informative articles and learning materials.
3. Connect with friends and family
Making time to connect with friends and family is a great way to maintain a sense of normalcy. Technology allows us to talk to our loved ones via phone calls and video calls. You can also plan a group video call with your social circle! Furthermore, give your child permission to connect with their friends a few times a week as they may miss interacting with their friends at school. Other than having conversations, you can plan fun activities to do together virtually such as watching the same movie, playing online games and doing the same exercise class.
4. Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Being physically healthy has a direct impact on mental health. It is important to eat healthy, exercise regularly and get good quality sleep to be physically strong and boost immunity. Exercising also releases endorphins that will lead to positive thoughts and good quality sleep. It also has a way of boosting overall mood and confidence. You can also incorporate stretching and meditation practices in your daily routine to relax your mind. In addition, you can plan out fun exercise activities to do as a family to expose children to a healthy lifestyle.
5. Distract yourself with tasks
Now is the best time to indulge in your hobbies with the extra hours in the day that have opened up especially during the weekend. Read a book, play musical instruments, do arts and crafts projects and many more. Take this opportunity to carry out tasks such as spring cleaning and organising. Both adults and children can benefit from this. In addition, the sense of productivity and achievement from completing a project can turn a bad day into a good one.
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