Staying at home, and staying mentally positive, is tougher than I thought it would be. Fortunately, with 5 of us (plus the dog) all in one house, we are getting on well. There have been no big arguments, no ‘real’ cross words and no sulking. We are probably doing better than normal!
Everyone knows that it takes more patience, understanding, and, loads more, self awareness to make the best of a bad situation. I have realised that, sometimes, my coping strategy is to go quiet, which is not my normal style at home. This gets the family worried, so I have to reassure them I’m ok and I just need some space at times.
The fact that I’m not travelling around, staying in hotels and having space to think, has made me realise that I do need time to regenerate my energy and I can’t have the ‘on button’ pressed all day.
With, at least, another 3 weeks of social distancing, I think that we will be able to keep things together. The weather has helped and being able to get into the garden is a big positive for us. I have set up small competitions with tennis rackets, footballs and even darts, just to keep us busy.
How are you keeping your self and your family mentally positive?
Here are a few top tips that work for me and my family:
- Talk about concerns or worries, share your feelings
- Have some form of structure to your day, but be flexible and forgiving on yourself
- Enjoy doing nothing and relaxing, we will soon be back to ‘normal’
- Allow each other personal space, we all need a quiet time to think
- Have some fun, be creative and enjoy your family time
I wish you well, have a ‘best possible’ week and look after your families.