Photo by August de Richelieu via Pexels
As we head into the colder months, coronavirus cases continue to climb. Because of this, it’s still important to stay home as much as possible to limit the spread of the virus and to keep your family safe. But by now, household tensions are likely mounting. There’s only so much time you can spend at home with your family before you start to get on each other’s nerves! While you may not be able to escape to work or hop on a plane for a self-care getaway, there are several things you can do to avoid conflict and keep everyone happy at home.
For instance, you can boost your wellness with yoga, strength training, or life coaching. For more ways to create calmness at home, check out the following tips!
Prioritize Sleep
As most of us know, lack of sleep fuels stress and irritability. If the people in your household don’t get enough quality sleep every night, high tensions are likely. Children are especially sensitive to sleep deprivation, so if your little ones are lacking sleep, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with unpredictable mood swings, hyperactivity, and issues with focusing during home schooling lessons.
Concerned that your kids aren’t getting the sleep they need? Ask yourself a few questions to get their sleep back on track. For example, what kinds of activities are your children doing right before bed? A relaxing bedtime ritual will help everyone wind down and stick to a regular sleep routine. And how much sleep does your child even need? If you have a teen, they may need more sleep than you think—about 10 hours is recommended!
Stay Active
Feelings of restlessness and pent-up energy can also lead to household tension. Make sure everyone in your home gets enough daily physical activity! Whether you feel comfortable going outside or not, there are several great ways to work up a sweat during self-isolation. Set up a home gym, exercise with household objects, venture into the woods for a solitary hike—pick something that sounds the most enjoyable to you!
Whatever activities you choose, just remember to prioritize other elements of your overall health as well. For example, Play Date Fitness recommends scheduling restorative rest days and finding ways to make healthy eating easier.
Fill Your Free Time with Fun Activities
Is your family sitting around bored with nothing to do? Hearing your kids yell “I’m bored” repeatedly is enough to drive any parent insane. While there’s nothing wrong with being bored—in fact, boredom can actually spark creative thinking—household boredom can ignite tensions among family members during these long months stuck at home.
Thankfully, there are several fun things your family can do to stay engaged and entertained. Play a board game, build a fort with your kids, write letters to long-distance family members, bake some tasty treats, or redecorate your home. The list goes on! Playing video games is another great way to alleviate boredom. Just make sure your internet is fast enough to handle online multiplayer games without anger-inducing connectivity issues.
Find Ways to Alleviate Stress and Anxiety
If you’re experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic, you’re not alone. Due to the threat of illness and unemployment, changes in routine, struggles adapting to remote work, and concerns about loved ones, stress and worry are expected. But if everyone in your household is facing anxiety, conflict is almost unavoidable. Take steps to relieve anxiety and help others in your family do the same.
An oft-overlooked strategy of reducing stress at home is addressing clutter. Keeping your home clean creates an environment that's more suitable for positive energy, which is important for keeping stress levels down. Additionally, make time for self-care, exercise, and meditation, and try out some deep-breathing exercises for immediate relief.
Remember the lockdown has taken us into a forced way of being and this can have a big impact on how we deal with daily life.
The pandemic has forced a lot of us to hunker down with our families and navigate ongoing changes to our daily routines. While some household tension may be inevitable, keeping everyone active, entertained, well-rested, and stress-free will do a lot to reduce conflict and ensure your family gets the most out of this time together!
This article was written by Alice Robertson and brought to you by Serenity Speaking, professional counselling based in Farnham, covering Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, United Kingdom. For more information, contact us today!