Keeping clean:

Wash, wash, wash: Sing a song to help your children along

Quite literally, wear your mask, make it a habit

Keeping social distance is an act of self compassion and empathy for others

Keeping one self balanced!

 Routine and Schedule:

Set a routine and try to follow it. Having a schedule anchors us!

Have separate routines for the work week and the weekend

Try to establish and keep boundaries for “work from home” and personal time

Help your children with routine, schedule and boundaries

They thrive with structure

Be flexible as perfection is not possible

Allowing “go with the flow” reduces frustration and stress

Focus on what you can control and what you can’t

Mindset matters

Keep focused in the moment

Sleep:

Sleep refuels the brain and body

Go to bed and get up at regular times

Literally provides us with a daily reset and recharge

Nutrition:

Be mindful

Try to plan for healthy, interesting food choices, meals and snacks

Limit sugar snacks and mindless eating

Be mindful about limiting substance use

How hungry am I?

Cooking together and eating together has been a silver lining for many but again keep it realistic

Exercise and Movement:

Get up and go

Walk, walk, walk: Take in Nature, Let out Stress and Anxiety

Dance parties

Neighborhood olympics with “What do you have around the house?”

Plank challenge

Mental refuel:

Breathing and mindfulness

Meditation

Yoga

Use of mantras and mindset: this too shall pass, one day at a time, be in the here and now

Limit constant exposure to news

Relationships and connection:

Stay at home but not alone!

Stay connected: Zoom, houseparty, group FaceTime, go to meeting, group text messages, Marco Polo

Reading bedtime stories, dinners across the country

Limit children’s exposure to news staying age appropriate and use “what they need to know” as a guide

Keep children’s social connections creatively in tact

Kindness to others:

This is a time to consider one for all and all for one

Living with empathy and connection as our lens

Thinking of others makes us feel better

Taking care of others takes care of ourselves

Positive contribution and purpose are important and helpful

Resilience comes from navigating through adversity

Gratitude and counting our blessings

Keep a blessings jar

Keep a gratitude journal

Silver linings keep us hopeful

What are your silver linings?