It sounds really simple but it is not! Have you noticed you are wearing your PJ's at lunch or have you binged watched a whole TV series in the last few days. These behaviours are breaking from your every day routine. Routines and structure are VERY important for our mental health. I am not saying plan every second of your day however, try and keep some normalcy. A few examples that I encourage you to try are:
1. Set a wake up time and stick to it
Try to make it as close to the beginning of your school day as possible. Setting a time of noon will throw off the rest of your day. My suggestion is 9:00 am. Pick what works for you and your family and STICK to it all week long. If you accidentally sleep in a little late one day do not worry, just get back on track the next day. If you are having trouble falling asleep at night, try and put down your device a half hour before bed and pick up a good book. Or a super boring book might help get you to sleep.
2. Get dressed everyday
I know that sometimes on weekends I like to hang out in my PJ's all day. This is okay to do.... on the weekends. During the week though, when you usually get up and go to school or work, you get dressed. Keep this routine up. Our brains are designed to work better with routines. If you stay in your PJ's all day you will be more likely to be on a weekend mindset. (Like binge watching Disney plus). So brush your hair and teeth, throw on jeans and a t shirt and be ready to tackle your day.
3. Eat lunch with family and/or friends
This may harder if your parents are at work but if you can eat lunch with another human being your day will improve I promise. See we are social beings and we are used to a school setting full of other people. Yes, some of us work better when we have some alone time but simply sharing a quick meal is always good to lift up spirits. Build in a half hour lunch time into your day where you are at least with one other person. This may mean hanging out with your sister or brother or even a live feed on SnapChat with friends. Try to have a conversation during your lunch. Lunch is the most social time at school. Sometimes it is hard to get a conversation going. Try having a "question of the day" each day at lunch.
Some ideas could include:
What is the best super power?
Where would you like to travel one day?
Would you rather be a kid or an adult?
If you could invent something what would it be?
When will we finally have flying cars? and how will they work?
If you could build something out of Lego and have it become real, what would you build?
4. Go outside for at least 2 hours a day
If you think about it, you are outside before school, during school and after school everyday. During a typical school day students spend on average 1. 5 hours a day outside. This is so important for your physical and mental health.
Physical benefits from being outdoors....
- Vitamin D This vitamin is different from other vitamins. It is one that our bodies need but we don't get it from our fruits and vegetables, we get it from sunshine. People and animals need vitamin D to be healthy.
- Helps you sleep Sunlight helps to teach your brain to be awake when it's light and to sleep when it's dark. If you are never in the sun, your brain has a hard time keeping track of when it's sleep time or awake time.
- Oxygen for our bodies The only real place to get fresh clean air is from being outside. The closer you get to trees and plants the fresher the air will be.
Mental Health benefits from being outdoors...
- Lessens anxiety Sunlight helps keep your serotonin levels up. (Serotonin is a chemical in our body. It helps to make us feel happy.) This helps raise your energy and keeps your mood calm, positive, and focused.
- Boosts self-esteem Scientist have done many studies that show that being out in nature makes you feel better about yourself.
- Improves concentration Very helpful as a "reset" for kids and adults who get distracted easily. Taking a break to go for a walk outside helps get you back into focus for longer.
As you can see getting outside is very important for you. So please take the dog for a walk, build a snow fort in the back yard, ride your bike safely around the neighbourhood, or go for a neighbourhood scavenger hunt. Just please remember to be safe, tell someone where you are going and practice social distancing.
5. Stick to bedtime
This is an important routine to stick to but yet, one of the hardest. You may not have anywhere to be at 8:50 am like you usually do but pretend like you do. Give yourself a morning task like walking the dog or making breakfast for mom. Something important so you can commit to waking up. If you commit to waking up early you can commit to going to bed early too. If you are used to a 9:00 pm bedtime stick to something close to it. Wind down with a book or read a book to someone else. Most importantly, keep off your electronics for at least half an hour before your bedtime. Listen to some guided meditation to help you settle your body or even do some night time yoga and stretching to help slow down your body. Try a few different things to see what works best for you.
This whole idea of social distancing is a new adventure. It is what our new normal will be for awhile. The best thing to do is to stay safe, stay positive and stay grounded. Start with keeping up with routines and some of what your old normal was.
BE HELPFUL, BE MINDFUL, BE KIND
Comments