ARTICLE 01
Keep the tank full on a daily basis
Encourage your family to live by the BACE rule. This means ensuring we do at least one of each of the following categories
B - Body care - eat well, stay hydrated, get enough sleep, get fresh air and exercise
A - Achieve something, acknowledge achievement - set yourself achievable goals for the day and at the end of the day reflect on what you’ve accomplished (not what you didn’t get done)
C - Connection - you could spend all day in the house with your peeps without connecting. Make conversations count, take time to sit down, schedule time to have a cuppa and actually listen to each other. Ask open ended questions about how they are finding this experience. Take time to connect with those out of the house… (if you haven’t already check out House Party app)
E - Enjoyment - Watch a funny movie, play a game, touch base with a friend or distant family member.
Download a copy of this activity tracker for each of your family members and fill it out together every day.
ARTICLE 02
Add a bit more gas, moment by moment and on the run
Tend to your body
+ Breathe well and intentionally - 4, 7, 8 or balloon breathing . You can’t overdo this practise.
+ Learn about it - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324417
+ Practise it - 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise to alleviate Anxiety and Stress for Teens and Adults
+ Practise it - 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise by GoZen
Some others things to try
+ Two minutes Mindfulness: Balloon Breaths/Belly Breaths - Breathing exercise for Children
+ 3 minute breathing space - 3-minute Mindful Breathing Meditation (Relieve Stress)
+ If you are into APPs, this is good.
+ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spencerstudios.takeiteeasybreathing&hl=en_US
+ Notice your physical tension - drop your shoulders, unclench your buttocks! Or better still, scrunch and release each muscle group from head to toe for 3 minutes.
+ Check this out - Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Kids
+ Try this body scan activity - Body Scan Meditation by GoZen!
+ Exercise - as often as you can for at least 30 mins
+ Keep hydrated and well fed and avoid over excessive alcohol and drugs
ARTICLE 03
Feel what you feel
+ Take time to STOP and reflect on how feel about what's happening
+ ‘When we shine the light on what we are feeling we can choose how we will respond to the next moment’
+ Here is why we need to face our feelings What causes anxiety and Depression - Inside Out
+ Notice your emotions - Name it , tame it, reframe it
+ Check this out - https://www.6seconds.org/2017/03/09/how-to-overcome-anxiety-the-power-of-renaming-emotions/
+ If you are curious listen to this. Its a bit dry but informative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcDLzppD4Jc
+ If you are feeling reactive - try this STOPP technique
+ STOP meditation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7mH1lPnak4
+ Share how you are feeling with others. Chances are, they will be feeling something similar.
ARTICLE 04
Manage your mind (pull the weeds and plant tulips instead)
+ Take a look at these (and share with your kids )
+ Got Negative Thoughts? Meet Coach for Mindfulness Exercises
+ Leaves on a stream - Leaves on a Stream
+ Notice 5 things - Notice 5 Things
+ When feeling stressed, take time to notice your thoughts - Ask yourself - What is the internal chatter flavour of my mind in this moment ? Am I catastrophizing about the uncontrollable? Am I imagining the worst? If you are, use your breathing to come back to the present moment . Say to yourself ‘ in this moment everything is ok’.
+ Reframe any negative self chatter - ‘you got this’, ‘I’m doing the best I can with what I have and what I know’. ‘In this moment everything is ok.
+ To keep motivated, find meaning in your day - Ask yourself ‘ What is my purpose right now?”
+ Gratitude moments - find presence in whats good - one thing I can be grateful for right now
+ If feeling overwhelmed ,ask yourself in any moment - what do I need? (not the same as what do I want)
ARTICLE 05
Get present in moments of circular worry or distress
Grounding exercises are things you can do to bring yourself into contact with the present moment – the here and now. They can be quick strategies (like taking three deep “belly breaths”) or longer, more formal exercises (like meditation). Different strategies work for different people, and there is no “wrong” way to ground yourself. The main aim is to keep your mind and body connected and working together.
Therapist Aid - Grounding Techniques
Please note this PDF refers to trauma. We are all going through a world wide trauma that will affect us in different ways.
ARTICLE 06
Nurture connection with your family
In terms of looking for silver linings, this situation has given us a gift! We can spend more time with our families and in our homes. The rush is off. Don’t let this opportunity pass to connect in a meaningful way.
+ Take time to take the pulse - how are others in your family holding up? Look for changes in behaviour - reactivity, withdrawal, procrastination, tantrums etc. Changes in behaviour can indicate unspoken suffering.
+ Expect bad behaviour - this happens when people feel overloaded.
+ Get curious, bring compassion - take time to understand how this unusual time is affecting your loved ones, acknowledge their experience and concerns
+ If kids are fragile tend to their emotions - http://www.parentingcounts.org/parent-handouts/information-for-parents-emotion-coaching.pdf
+ Listen and make room for silence.
+ Don’t take things personally - Anyone’s reactivity won’t be about you.
+ Be intentional with empathy - walk in another’s shoes and remember we all bring our unique lenses to the world. Validate others' feelings.
+ Nature is your friend - get outside at least once a day and take a walk around the block. Play a game with the kids - have them look for things of different shapes, colours, textures etc.
+ Encourage gratitude in yourself and others - here are some good ideas ! https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-exercises/
+ Find ways to laugh - share funny clips with kids, watch funny programmes, do what ever makes you laugh!!
+ Finally, in all this turmoil, invest in your relationships. When all this has blown over you want to be a united front. Here are some ideas focussed on couples but many of them are also relevant to our other relationships. https://couplesinstitutecounseling.com/ways-for-couples-to-connect-during-sheltering-in-place/
