5 Self - Care tips when Social Distancing at Home with Your Children

Let's face it, we LOVE our children! But when you are feeling isolated with them everyone's emotions can start to boil (especially during stressful times like now). Check out my posts Things to do with Kids over the COVID - 19 Break, Keeping kids busy over the COVID - 19 Break March 23 - 27 and 10 Things to do With Kids Over the March Break for ideas of how to keep your kids busy and entertained. Also keep you eyes peeled for more posts about things do to with kids and weekly schedules while schools are closed. Some of the ideas from the March break post are not applicable right now due to social distancing but others can be adjusted and done at home. I will also be making another post soon about more ideas of how to keep kids busy and learning during this time as more resources come available.

But this post is for you! How can you take care of yourself during this stressful time. A stressful time that might even seem a little more stressful as you are now not only the caregiver, but also the educator of your child. In some cases this may be difficult because children may not want to learn schooling from their parents, they might do it differently than their teacher and this can all add onto the stress. I recently saw a post from a school principal stating "You are not their teacher!" This is correct. You need to make the learning environment fun or it will become even more stressful for everyone. You also need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself so you can be the best you during your times with your children.

I honestly link this social distancing to maternity leave. During maternity leave you spend way more time at home, sometimes not wanting to go out because you're worried about what colds are going around and you don't want your baby to catch it (at least I did it this way). This is similar, you're leaving your house less, talking to other adults less, spending more time with your family. The only difference is that you're not getting up multiple times a night to feed a baby.

Here are 5 ways to help eliminate stress and take care of you during this time of extra stress. 

1. Exercise - Exercise is very important for keeping the body energized and healthy! Getting outside and going for a walk (if permitted) can be a great way to eliminate stress and get you feeling good about what the day has brought. If your cannot get outside, then completing an indoor workout can also be just as rewarding. If you are lucky like we are and have exercise equipment then hopping on the treadmill or elliptical are great alternatives to going outside. If you do not have any equipment then there are still a ton of ideas and resources to help you stay active indoors. Lokah Sangha Yoga is a local yoga studio that is offering online classes a few times throughout the week, Nike Training Club offers various workouts from yoga, HIIT, etc. Nike Training Club also allows you to choose if you need to use equipment, your fitness level and what level of intensity it is. Lululemon has also opened an online hub. There are now a lot of different exercise resources for people to use to help get endorphins up and people feeling good. The other good note is that the weather is starting to get nicer out and that also means we can take a break from work and our kids to not only get some exercise but also get the fresh air we are needing.

2. Down time - Whether you're reading, completing an adult coloring, or having a bath, you are taking some time to unwind and get rid of some of the stress that the day has brought you. This could be stress from the news, your kids, your spouse or possibly a combination of everything. Lets face it, we are all spending much more time together and taking a little bit of you time is going to become very important for keeping everyone happy and healthy! Recently I've planted some seeds for our garden. I started this as a science experiment with my sons but in all honesty, I now get some down time to myself and go and water all our little seedlings down in the basement. This is relaxing for me as I get 10 minutes to myself every morning before we start "school" and every afternoon after "school". You need to find something that will work for you. It doesn't have to be a long time but even a couple of 10 minute blocks throughout the day can really go a long way. 

3. Adult conversations - Whether it's over Face time or with a neighbour that you're checking in on (while keeping your distance) these adult conversations can be very important to helping you feel like there is some kind of normal in your everyday life. Obviously life right now is not normal but it will help your mind feel at ease if you can give it a moment when it might feel like it is. Once again even if these conversations don't last long they will hopefully help boost you up and give you a feeling that everything will be alright and life will be normal again. Time with your spouse or someone special - This is obviously someone that is living with you, or someone that you can spend time with over Face time or other video apps where you can play a game, watch a good TV show or Movie. My husband and I just finished Narcos Mexico and are going to be in need of a good new show to watch.  

4. On-line shopping - During these next couple of weeks to months money can get tight and shopping may not be an option. But even shopping for food and essentials can be therapeutic if you let it be. In times of stress I will sometimes even go online and look at different websites and fill my cart to get the rush of shopping without actually following through with the final payment. I also am a huge fan of finding the best deal (when shopping from the big brand shops). I usually do this through Rakuten so I can even get a little cash back at the same time. I do also love to support local shops and vendors. Some of my favourite locals to support are Poplar + Birch, Northwest Goods, Wabigoon Chain of Lakes, Camp Brand Goods, and Portage and Main to name a few.   

5. Get Fresh Air - This is so important! Especially when you are feeling cooped up and isolated in your own home. Go out into your yard, on your balcony, where ever you can and just take in the fresh air. Sit and read your book out there, play with your kids outside for recess, whatever it is make sure you get outside in the fresh air a couple of times in the day to help the feeling of isolation diminish.