Families around the world are going through some kind of a lockdown. Many are staying at home almost 24×7 and practising social distancing. While this will reduce your family’s and others risk of getting coronavirus (COVID-19), many weeks of isolation can spark anxiety and depression.

At this time pay extra attention to take care of your mental well being and know that you are NOT alone. With changes happening so quickly during the COVID-19 outbreak many are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, scared and stressed. Different people have different ways of coping. But all the usual stress “outlets” like meeting friends, going to the shops, exercising or travelling – are on the prohibited list.

Here is a list of things your family can do to avoid stress and stay happy during COVID-19 lockdown:

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Stop checking COVID-19 news EVERY SINGLE HOUR of the day

Continuous exposure to negative media only adds fuel to your stress. Also stop checking news from different countries! They are mostly irrelevant to you. Limit checking your LOCAL NEWS to only twice a day.

When you do, watch out for “HOOK” words reporters use like: Crisis, Soar, Warning, Worsen, Devastating – to suck your attention.

 

Have a lockdown from social media

From recommendations to “drink herbal tea” to “drink honey” to “stay out in the sun” to boost your immunity against COVID-19, we’ve seen them all. They are all time wasters. Unfortunately everyone on this planet is still waiting on a vaccine or drug to treat coronavirus.

It’s important to stay informed, but there’s a lot of fake news coming through Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram, so stick to trusted sources – not Charmaine from Facebook (Sorry Charmaine!).

 

FLATTEN the curve. Not FATTEN the curve

Avoid excessively eating unhealthy food like chips, chocolates, ice creams and alcohol just to name a few. You don’t want to come out of COVID-19 pandemic with diabetes and obesity – which btw kills way more people each year!

Eat nutritious and of course vitamins rich foods to boost your immunity.

 

 

Organize your travel photos

Many of us take holiday photos and never got around to looking back at them. Lockdown is the time to go through them, delete the blurry ones, organize them into folders, and back them up.

It feels so good to relive those travel moments.

 

 

Get up and get moving

Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins trigger positive feelings.

There are lots of fitness app currently offering free at home workouts you can follow during isolation. This include Les Mills and Centr by Chris Hemsworth (the good Hemsworth)

 

Avoid binge watching Netflix til late at night

You do know you need a good 7-8 hours of good sleep right? Otherwise you may start losing your mind.

Social distance yourself from the couch.

 

Stop obsessing over things you can’t control

Will there be more COVID-19 cases tomorrow? Probably. When will the vaccine come out? No one knows – unfortunately.

Focus on things you CAN actually control. Like how you can carry on being an outstanding parent, spouse, workmate, friend and neighbour. This way you will feel much more empowered.

 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Have a strong support network. Whether it’s your extended family, work colleagues, friends or playdate Mums. They are only a phone call (or Zoom conference) away. Organize an online group chat with friends.

 

 

Don’t try to do everything yourself

By the end of the day you will be knackered, so divide and conquer with your spouse. You are not expected to work, teach your kids, cook and do house chores altogether.

 

 

Stop being too hard on yourself

This is for everyone who’s now home schooling their children. Not all of us are born to be teachers and that’s OK! For us, we really suck at this and we admit it! Do not expect your kids to study from 8.30-3pm like they do in school. The last thing you want is to be yelling and bickering at your kids (your sanity comes first!).

 

 

Stop your war against imaginary germs

It’s bloody hard not to be a germophobe during these times, BUT when you all have been staying home all day there’s no point exhausting yourself deep cleaning the house on a daily basis.

 

For those working from home: Try to keep up with the routine

This means waking up the same time, have a shower, get dressed, put on same make up and look decent. This will set the mood for work and boost your morale. Position your desk away from the fridge to help concentration.

 

Self care and have ME TIME!

It is not selfish to want to leave your spouse and your kids for a bit. We all need to take a breather. Go for a walk (alone), meditate in the backyard when the kids are watching TV or playing with their IPad.

 

 

Other things you can do to keep your family happy during lockdown

  • Take your kids on a virtual museum tours: There are tons to choose from including the Louvre and Vatican museum.
  • If you’re into Legos, build a Lego city – no social distancing rules here!

 

 

  • If you have a backyard, maximise it: Do some gardening, play basketball, have a family picnic, camp under the stars, anything goes. Be creative.
  • Look after each other: If you know someone who is generally have a higher risk of getting COVID-19 or immune compromised, offer a helping hand. Anything from helping them out with grocery (contactless) to cooking meals.
  • Cook! Both of us are never big fans of cooking but since we are stuck at home now, we have been experimenting with a few new simple lockdown dishes.

 

 

  • Read a book: Especially those books which were gifted and been hidden in your drawer for many moons.
  • Educate yourself: Read a useful self help book or watch TED talks on YouTube.
  • Organise family movie nights
  • Marie Kondo-ing wardrobes: Aim for perfectly rolled T shirts and pants. Colour coordinate them for extra OCD-ness.
  • Make a fun movie with your phone – Checkout ours below!

 

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  • And finally… Do all those things you have always procrastinated. I’m sure we all have tons on this list to last a few pandemics.

From our home here in Perth, Australia we hope your family are keeping healthy and safe.

 

For places we have visited, Checkout our website’s travel Destinations section. We buy our travel essentials online via Ebay