As many of us have transitioned to a routine of working at home setting, it presents us with new challenges and stresses that we weren’t previously accustomed to, especially when homeschooling is involved.  Homeschooling whilst having to complete your own daily work tasks on top of house choirs and entertaining the kids can become a bit of a drag and can cause tension and anxiety within the household.  This makes activities such as exercise, stretching, puzzles, drawing, or any other activity that uses our body and mind imperative to our mental and physical well-being whilst setting a positive example for our kids in these stressful and unsettling times.

Turning off the TV and putting some music on and having a boogie with the kids is a fantastic way to increase the morale of the household or why not turn the kitchen into a Master Chef kitchen and set the scene for some creative and interesting (possibly disastrous but memorable) meals. Since it’s spring have the kids help you reorganise and de-clutter the household for a more open and spacious feel or breakout that lawnmower and remind the children that good things don’t come to those who wait and reinforce some positive values (of course you will be sitting back with a glass of home-made lemonade shouting positive anecdotes whilst secretly having a chuckle.)

As for the parents who work for hours on end at the desk whilst having one hand on the mouse and the other on the trigger (trigger being the numerous glasses of coffee) it’s so important that you get up and move and stretch to reduce the amount of strain and compression on your lower back. Performing some light exercise in the morning can promote a healthier alternative than relying on coffee as that mood boost and sets the scene for a positive day as exercise helps the body to release endorphins ( you know, the feel-good hormones.)

The last thing you need is to be in ISO with an injury that could easily be avoided.

Another thing that you can do for your partner or your children, is some simple yet beneficial massage. We all know how beneficial massage can be to the mind and body and just because we may be closed for the time being does not mean you and your family have to miss out.  Now we are not saying that you should go ahead and perform a deep tissue massage without any formal training but using simple techniques like circular finger friction, longitudinal gliding or the classic shoulder/trap squeeze can be extremely beneficial for your children and significant other. This is also a great way to show your love and appreciation for one another. In saying all of this I know some people will try and trigger point one another which will definitely lead to some shock and maybe some laughter.

The main point of this post is that this is a perfect time to rekindle that love and passion for yourself as an individual and as a family.  There are many positives to be experienced within this lockdown and with a little bit of work and a change of perspective you can step back out into the world stronger, whilst holding a sense of compassion for each individual as you can relate to the struggles that this lockdown has presented us all with. The term “we’re only human” doesn’t hold any value anymore because being human makes us incredible and we all have unbelievable value even if we cannot see it and if you know someone who has forgotten their value, then remind them.