You Deserve a Break Today

If your home looks anything like ours, stress levels are up, arguments have increased, and everyone is in need of a little social distancing from each other. We all need a break, but with travel restrictions and a struggling economy, that family holiday is probably out of the question. Now what?

Here are a few tips to maintain your family’s mental health. First, keep a structure, but make it flexible. It might help to make a schedule each week that builds in chore time, dinner time, screen time, playtime, exercise, bedtime, and “leave me alone” time. Setting aside time for each activity signals that it’s ok to do each thing, but keeping it flexible makes it clear that each person’s individual needs will be taken into account.

Second, get out that old board game and strike up a friendly family competition. This will not only bring your family together, but it will also scratch that competitive itch your kids might not have been able to scratch by playing their favorite sport. Third, limit exposure to the news. Constantly tuning in to your favorite pundit will only further exacerbate everyone’s anxiety levels.

Finally, if you are married, carve out time for you and your spouse to be alone together. With everyone confined in the house at all times, it's hard to break away and pour into your marriage. Schedule a stay-at-home date night for just you and your spouse. And if you are a single parent, don’t feel guilty about creating time for yourself. Everyone needs some solitude right now, especially if you are the sole breadwinner, school teacher, and peanut butter and jelly maker. Take a walk, run a bath, or just close your door and breathe.

We’re all running on fumes, and this winter promises to be unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before, possibly taking even more of a toll. Take care of yourself and your family by practicing these simple suggestions. And remember, this too shall pass.

This article taken from The Culture Translator Vol. 6, Issue 20.

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