4 Tips for Reducing Stress for Your Family During COVID

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The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented levels of fear on local, national, and even global levels. This collective angst tends to focus on the worry of actually contracting the virus. However, in addition to the clearly important concern of catching or spreading the novel coronavirus, there are several significant side effects that shouldn't be ignored.

Case in point: stress and anxiety levels have spiked in the wake of the virus.

The Importance of Understanding How to Handle Stress

The prolonged period of time spent in isolation due to the coronavirus has provided ample opportunities for young and old alike to internalize and worry about the potential dangers that surround them. In addition, the necessity of maintaining social distancing has naturally cut most individuals off from desperately important social stimulation. This nasty combination has led to a correlating spike in substance use, suicidal ideation, and mental health concerns - all of which have been exacerbated by increased levels of stress and anxiety.

The important thing to understand when addressing this issue is the fact that the stress itself is a common and natural part of life. Stress can be created by perfectly normal scenarios, such as competing in a sport or stopping a child from playing too close to the road.

However, when stress levels rise, it's common for individuals to attempt to either control or eliminate whatever it is that is making them nervous, apprehensive, or uneasy. This is an essential realization, as many forms of stress are completely out of an individual's sphere of influence, and thus cannot be directly removed or controlled. The ongoing pandemic is a perfect example of an external stressor that is impossible to remove or even mitigate on an individual level.

Instead of trying to remove or overtly control the sources of stress in your family's life, it's important for parents and children alike to learn how they can manage the stress that they're faced with at any given moment. If your family is struggling with the mental weight of living through a pandemic, here are several family-friendly stress management tips to help you weather the storm.

1. Unplug Regularly

The internet-driven 24/7 news cycle has created a perpetual stream of alerts, notifications, and proclamations that continually drain the mental stamina of young and old alike. It doesn't matter if you get your news from NPR, social media, or your favorite blogger, the steady stream of oft-negative information can be crippling to your family's mental and emotional stability.

In order to beat the stress caused by the highly pessimistic modern reporting rhythm, plan in times to regularly unplug from your electronic devices by:

● Turning your phone on "Do not disturb" and putting it in another room.

● Getting kids phones that purposefully limit internet access, particularly when it comes to internet browsing and social media.

● Turning off tablets, the television, smartwatches, and any other electronic devices

● Finding offline, family-friendly activities to engage in, such as playing a board game or reading a book together.

● Going for walks or playing outside in order to cash in on the numerous mental and physical health benefits that nature has to offer.

● Taking a page out of the professional playbook by using your downtime to simply rest and "do nothing" together.

By unplugging on a regular basis, you can help your family detox from social media, the 24/7 news cycle, and a plethora of other internet-based stress inducers.

2. Set Clear Boundaries

One of the biggest curveballs that the pandemic has thrown has manifested in the form of remote work and school. Trying to educate millions of children from a distance and managing scattered remote work teams have put a unique level of stress on what were previously manageable activities.

If you're working from home, homeschooling, or both, it's important that you manage the stress that so much activity in a cramped living space can create. The best way to do this is by setting clear boundaries for each endeavor. This starts with time boundaries. Set clear times of the day that you and your children are to focus on work and school. Then harken to the above advice and encourage your family members to truly unplug from professional and educational pursuits at the end of each day.

You can go even further than simple time management, as well. It's also wise to delineate clear physical spaces throughout the homefront where work, school, recreation, and rest take place. By setting up home offices and study spaces, you provide dedicated areas where you and your loved ones can focus on work and school. Then, when you're finished, you can leave your labors behind in your workspaces by withdrawing to rest in other areas of your home, where you can truly allow your minds and bodies to recuperate.

3. Stay Organized

Living in a cluttered space can quickly lead to a state of disorientation, dissatisfaction, and ultimately, stress. Keeping both your physical and digital spaces organized is particularly important for those who are juggling work from home and homeschooling activities during the pandemic.

As you cram an exponentially large amount of activities into your living space, organization becomes key, with three activities, in particular, taking precedent:

● Take the time to regularly declutter your spaces.

● Regularly purge your digital storage, from email inboxes to computer desktops and cloud-based storage solutions.

● Use a family organizing app to create a universal calendar for your family's activities so that everyone can stay on the same page.

By striving to remain organized, you can provide a sense of structure that can help to smooth ruffled feathers and calm strained nerves.

4. Maintain Routines

Finally, remember the critical value of maintaining routines. A good routine doesn't just provide a sense of structure and consistency that are critical during times of quarantine. Maintaining healthy routines as a family has also been linked to both academic success as well as crucial development of social skills.

Along with classic customs, like morning routines and pre-bed procedures, it's also critical that you strive to maintain consistent and cohesive habits as a family. Prepare and eat meals together, spend time socializing, plan in one on one time, have reading or movie nights, and schedule family meetings on a regular basis.

There is no end to the sources of stress that can confront your family. However, the way that you react to that stress can make all the difference in your family's long-term wellbeing. So, look for areas where you can implement the above tips in order to manage the stress that you're currently facing. Engaging in stress-management activities can provide an ideal rallying point for your family to use as you strive to stay united and safe in the months ahead.