It’s been just one week since shelter-in-place became our new normal.

Covid-19 has changed the way we live, work, and play.

For many of you, you’re now working from home *while* your kids are also schooling at home. Life has become very HARD.

Not to say it wasn’t hard before, but now it's scary, different, and unsettling.

Plus your energetic kids have to adapt to a big change in their lives, which requires patience and understanding.

During times of turmoil, uncertainty and distress, sometimes it seems impossible to keep it all together. Although I want to assure you that it's still possible to find glimmers of normalcy and thrive.

Let’s begin now with a few deep breaths together. Get comfortable and take a deep breath in through your nose for a count of three seconds, then take a deep breath out through your mouth for three seconds. Now repeat a couple more times. If you have a longer exhale than inhale that can help you relax and feel even more calm.

Better? I hope so.

Now, how do you keep your sanity and attempt to thrive during this very challenging time?

10 Simple Ways to Nourish Your Mind

1. SAY I LOVE YOU - Express your love and affection to your partner- even if you don't feel sexy or you have a long to-do list. You were a couple first before having kids.

2. BREATHE AND MEDITATE - As you saw earlier, your breath is a powerful tool to calm. Guided meditations with visualizations can also help.

3. PRACTICE GRATITUDE - Be thankful and say it out loud. Model to your kids that no matter what, there is always SOMETHING to be thankful for. Helps them appreciate what you're doing and helps you focus on what you have going for you.

4. LAUGH - Share funny stories of your kids with friends, watch a comedy show, just be present and make silly sounds and faces with your kids. Laughter makes everything better.

5. PRACTICE SELF-JOY - Do something that brings you pure joy, without the kids, to maintain a sense of self (listening to happy music and dancing while doing dishes is a two-for-one).

6. FIND ROUTINES - Get ready in the morning like you’re actually going to work, have the kids change their clothes like going to school, eat at the same times, find comfort and control in routine.

7. CONNECT - Setup virtual friend meetups, create chat groups on WhatsApp with the parents in your kids’ classes, call friends and family using FaceTime.

8. EXERCISE - This one is vital for parents. Being cooped up in your house without moving your body while taking care of your kids is a recipe for pent up stress and resentment. Coordinate with your partner when each of you can exercise. Make it a priority. Or try one of our On Demand workout videos.

9. RECRUIT YOUR KIDS - depending on the age of your kids, they are more capable than you think. Use this time to teach them about the importance of being a family community member and have them put their dishes in the sink or dishwasher, bring their laundry down, clean up their toys. Let them help you lessen the load.

10. SMILE - even when you don't want to, science shows that the act of smiling can actually make you happier.

We know these are hard times, but have HOPE. Tomorrow is a new day.

Ideas for Practicing Gratitude

To help you with #3: Remember there is always something you can be grateful for:

* When you are frustrated that your kids aren't listening to you for the fifth time, be grateful that they are alive, healthy and with you.

* When you're annoyed that you can't go out to see people or go to the beach, be thankful for all the medical personnel and first responders on the front lines treating patients in the massively under-resourced hospitals. Stay home.

* When you're annoyed that you can't buy more toilet paper or that your kid's favorite cereal is out of stock, be grateful for all the grocery store clerks working so you can buy food to feed our families. Cooking at home is good for you.

* When you're in shock that it can take up to a month to receive some of your online orders, be thankful for the UPS drivers that are delivering all your packages while we stay at home and shelter-in-place.

* When you're frustrated about having to homeschool your kids, be thankful for all your children's teachers adapting to a new mode of teaching and doing a lot of heavy lifting to ensure that your kids continue to learn.

These are just a few things to be grateful for.

Lastly, if you're looking for a wonderful community of parents and families, come join us! Help us create a wellness program for you. We now have Live Online Classes for adults and kids as well as On Demand Content!

From all of us at SpringSpot, thank YOU to our community for your continued support. We'll get through this together!

xoxo,

She-Rae