Relieve Self Isolation Tension with These 5 Strategies

Staying home might be the healthiest option right now, but that doesn’t make it easy. Especially for couples and families, tensions are high with everyone in such close quarters. There are ways to make things easier, though. Here are five strategies for restoring peace at home.

Unplug and Head Outside

It’s a scientific fact that spending time in nature can help reduce stress. But unfortunately, many kids (and their adults) don’t spend enough time in nature. To combat nature deficit, the whole family can head outside together—whether to the backyard, a nearby park, or even a campsite.

Once you’re in the great outdoors, active pursuits can help the whole family burn off stress and stay healthy. Biking, hiking, running, and even rock climbing are excellent ways to get moving while enjoying the fresh air and sun.

If you’re not sure where to start, or just need some motivation, consider working with Holistic Divine Innovations for personalized support to help you connect with nature and, therefore, yourself.

Plug in (Together)

While too much screen time can be detrimental, there are perks to technology, too. For example, bored kids and adults can bond over gaming. Studies suggest that intergenerational game play is great for kids’ development and family relationships, notes Forbes. Choosing games you can play side-by-side can also encourage kids to open up about their fears and stressors. For couples, gaming together can help strengthen your bond.

Of course, if you want to play online multiplayer games like Fortnite, you’ll need the right equipment. If your internet is lacking, consider an alternative fiber optic service from a company like Verizon. With robust internet, the whole household can play games and handle downloads without unbearable lag time.

Enlist Outside Help

Whether it’s seeking therapy with remote check-ins or getting assessed for a health issue, “doing work” on yourself can help ease tension at home. Very Well Mind highlights online therapy options for everything from couples therapy to peer support to psychiatry consultations.

Whatever you choose, learning new coping strategies can help you handle your kids’ meltdowns, your partner’s frustrations, and household drama a bit easier. Plus, if you’re struggling with your mental health, talking to a professional might be the first step toward feeling better.

Start New Routines

Being stuck at home has thrown a wrench in many families’ regular routines. Since no one’s leaving for work, school, or even grocery shopping on a regular schedule anymore, days can become muddled. One way to reclaim the calm in your home is by establishing new routines.

Parents know that routines are beneficial for babies’ and toddlers’ development, but they’re helpful for the whole family, too. As Motherly explains, “routines and rituals” can help your family connect more effectively and experience more joy together.

Think about implementing routines for mealtimes, schoolwork, and your working hours. But be sure to factor in memory-making routines like movie nights, special desserts, or backyard campouts, too. You can even have a routine of regular house cleaning and decluttering together so that you can cut back on chores and spend more time doing the things you love.

Learn a New Hobby

For both children and adults, spending time on enjoyable hobbies can be rewarding. Relaxing indoor activities can also help you recover after a tough day or help reduce anxiety. Of course, a hobby like rock climbing or birdwatching can be rewarding, too.

All ages can get in on family-friendly hobbies like learning a new language, knitting, scrapbooking, or cooking. Whether you want to stay indoors or head out, a hobby can help pass the time and keep your brain busy.

Staying home in self-isolation can mean lots of pent-up frustration. But by being proactive about relieving stress, you can help your household feel calmer and more at ease. It’s not easy to isolate, but implementing these strategies is a step toward a more bearable lockdown experience for everyone.

Photo via Rawpixel

Article written by Emma Grace

Mental Health: Anxiety and Depression

Mental health has been widely overlooked throughout modern times. I mean, things such as anxiety, and depression cannot be measured in a way where we can see depression and anxiety levels. Anxiety and depression has no face. Anxiety and depression wears the faces of many of us, and can hide behind smiles, and loads of success. In other words, the people who look the happiest, and who has achieved the most success can be suffering from anxiety and depression. Our children can be suffering from anxiety and depression. I am going to help us define and identify symptoms of anxiety and depression, and different ways to approach and overcome anxiety and depression. There is no cure in its totality, but we can all fight it together.

Anxiety is something we all have dealt with at one point or another. Some of us deal with anxiety on a daily basis with no known approaches other than prescribed medicines from psychiatrist. Some will describe anxiety as an over amplified feeling of worry. High levels of worry turns in to anxiety. Others may describe anxiety simply as your body’s response to stress. I like to look at anxiety as both. Your body’s response to high levels of stress, and high levels of worry will result to high levels of anxiety. I have been dealing with anxiety since I was a small child. Throughout my childhood, I was not aware of the term anxiety, or depression. I was not able to label my behaviors, or feelings. My body would shut down in various situations where I experienced high levels of stress and worry. I would shut down to the point where I wouldn’t speak to people for days, weeks, and even months. Every time I was around the people who was causing me stress and/or worry, I would shut down immediately. I thought this behavior was normal. This is something I am still healing from.

It Starts with Women

Many of us are dealing with anxiety, and depression, and have been dealing with it from childhood. It’s time to break the curse, and heal ourselves, and our children. Mother’s, did you know that anxiety and depression can be inherited through genes that only you carry? Yes, mothers, you pass down the gene that is inherited by your children that passes on anxiety and depression. We, as a society, have to nurture our women, and help them heal because they give birth to our nation. They are the creators of life. They are the creators of the world. Healing the future from anxiety and depression starts with healing our women.

Another big factor is environment. Many of us grew up, and is currently living through rough, and stressful environments. Many of us have been working very stressful jobs in harsh work environments where we are underpaid, and overworked. These are also major contributors to anxiety and depression. There is an array of factors that contributes to the rise of anxiety and depression.

Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

If you are having moments of highs and lows, or are having moments where you where you are shutting down or shutting people out, you may be suffering from anxiety or depression. Let’s list some symptoms of anxiety and depression to help you identify with what you could be possibly suffering from.

Anxiety

-        If you are constantly nervous, restless or tense

-        If you are feeling weak, and a lack of energy

-        If you are feeling fearful, and is constantly panicking

-        If you are having a strong need to avoid things that triggers your emotions

-        If you are performing repetitive behaviors and responses

-        If you are having constant negative thoughts, and are fixated on those thoughts and ideas

-        If you are experiencing selective mutism

Things that may cause anxiety

-        Death of a close friend or family member

-        Major life changes

-        A stressful living environment, community, or work environment

-        Poor eating habits

-        Fear and insecurities

-        Too much screen time (media, tv and video games)

Depression

-        Trouble concentrating, and making decisions

-        The feeling of worthlessness

-        Major loss of interest in things that once brought you pleasure

-        Suicidal or homicidal ideologies

-        Restlessness

-        Fatigue, or sleeping too much

-        Loss of appetite, or overeating

Things that may cause depression

-        A major death or loss/rejection

-        Major life changes such as change of job, community, school, etc

-        Genetics

-        Major illnesses

-        Poor diet and lack of exercise

-        Overstimulating and negative environments (home, work, community, etc)

How to approach anxiety and depression?

Overcoming anxiety and depression is a lifestyle and a lifetime commitment. It’s an everyday fight. There are far more things in our society that causes anxiety and depression than we have to actually help heal them. There are many sacrifices to be made, and we must take full accountability for how we choose to maneuver through life. We must take charge of our own lives. Here is a list of things you can do to help heal yourself from anxiety and depression.

-        Read more books on self-development: Reading more books will help you to develop and maintain effective ways to live life, and to develop yourself in to a more positive thinker.

-        Surround yourself with more positive people: Having more positive people in your corner will help create a balance in your life. We are surrounded by so much negativity by default. Having positive friends, and family will help you keep positivity flowing in your life.

-        See a therapist: Some of us do not have many positive people in our lives. It is great to see a therapist, even if you do not have a huge need to because you will be able to have support in overcoming small issues before they become bigger issues that will cause anxiety and depression. If you are currently suffering from anxiety and depression, having a therapist can help you take accountability, and control the things you can change.

-        Eat better and exercise more: Depression is a chemical imbalance in the body. Stress is one of the things that creates that chemical balance. What you put in your body is a major contributor to that chemical imbalance. Many of the foods we eat have chemical in it that causes your body to experience stress because your body is constantly fighting those chemicals. What we eat plays a huge role in how we experience out external world. Exercising helps our body deal with stress. Exercising helps us to regulate ourselves which will result in better responses to stressful situation, and a more positive way of thinking.

-        Change your environment: This is so overrated. Sometimes the environment you function is the cause of your anxiety and depression. Having a dysfunctional living environment, and work environment can be cause you to feel low and worthless. Living and operating in messy and unstructured environments can translate in to how you feel about yourself. Being surrounded by negative people will have an effect on how you feel about yourself.

In conclusion, take charge of your life. Your mental health matters. If you need to rid of negative people, do it. If you need a change of environment, do it. We have to be accountable for our own lives. We all deserve happiness. Happiness starts with you. Let me know what you think. I would love to hear some of stories!