How You Can Prepare Yourself and Your Kids to Live in a World with COVID-19

If there was any time for a healthy dose of pessimism, it is now. While most of us are expecting that the COVID-19 situation will de-escalate in the coming year, the truth is – it could take a much longer time. We would do well to mentally prepare ourselves to live with the Novel Coronavirus still amidst us in the near future.

Mental Preparation is Crucial for Dealing with Uncertainty

You will notice that some of us are calmer in times of uncertainty than others. Why is this? It is because they had taken the time to anticipate different situations and mentally prepare them for it beforehand. People are now recommended to do the same for dealing with COVID-19. The following steps could prove useful in the process –

• Be Mindful of Today – Focusing on the here and now could help you in curbing your disappointment about plans you might have made, which now seem unlikely, for the months to come.
• Plan the Distant Future – Scheduling events where you plan to resume back your regular life and activities safely might prove to be a recipe for disappointment. While making short-term future plans keep us motivated and driven to live out our day-to-day, it can only be counterproductive in these unpredictable times. If you must, make plans for the distant future.
• Introspect – Think about how you would like yourself and your kids to have spent out the pandemic when you recollect your memories twenty years from now? It should help you spend your time with greater awareness.
• Practice Gratitude – Take some time out from your day and sit down to express your gratitude and send it out to the world. If you have friends and family who’ve been regularly interacting with you and checking up on your wellbeing, let them know you appreciate them. Tell them you are here for them too.
• Don’t Get/Let Your Kids Get Distracted from Following Safety Norms – Both you and your children might forget about social distancing and hand-washing norms in excitable situations. Yet, following safety norms at all times is the only way to keep yourself and your family protected against the COVID-19 viral infection.
• Stay Active – The pandemic may have restricted our mobility and possibilities for relaxing/exercising in public areas, but this does not mean that you stay home on your couch all the time. Start an indoor workout routine for the entire family to follow, to keep healthy and fighting fit.
• Limit Mobile Time – Yes, our smart multimedia devices have become indispensable for the platform for social connectivity that they provide. At the same time, being on our phones all the time can prove disadvantageous for our physical and mental health. Spend limited time on social media or browsing through your phone. Your kid will pick up after you and do the same.

Ask for Help if You Need It

The Novel Coronavirus pandemic has underlined the need for extensive mental health care services the world over. All of us are struggling with an unprecedented and unforeseen present. If you feel like you could use some mental health support, feel free to schedule a telemedicine appointment with Phoenix Family Medical Clinic. We’re all in this together!

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