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In response to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration of the deadly Novel Coronavirus (which is also known as COVID-19) as a pandemic, a large number of global leaders around the world have made the decision to implement total lockdowns or partial movement restriction orders in their respective countries. This includes an immediate closure of schools as well as businesses which provide products or services that are considered as “non-essential”.
And while this decision may be for the greater good, it could also cause a major disruption to the routines of children, teenagers and adults alike, inadvertently affecting the mental health of these individuals. For that reason, here are some of the best ways to maintain an overall sense of positivity throughout this difficult time with the hope that a cure for this debilitating disease may be discovered in the near future.
Your Body Was Made to Move!
Being stuck at home during a COVID-19 lockdown is not entirely a bad thing. As a matter of fact, having lesser work or school responsibilities can actually provide a better opportunity for self-improvement such as a development of physical and mental fitness. Incorporating fitness as part of you or your family’s daily routine does not necessarily have to be a drab affair as there are a variety of creative ways in which you can induce fun and excitement in a physical activity.
If you are a parent of a young child, you can opt to turn your house into a mini obstacle course, with each station requiring your child to perform either hops, crawls or climbs in order to advance to the next level. Besides that, you can also promote physical and mental fitness through kid-friendly dance challenges, or kid-friendly yoga classes, which are ubiquitously available on YouTube. Participating in a dance or yoga session together not only allows the both of you to improve your aerobic fitness but is also able to strengthen parent-child bonds.
On the other hand, a creative way to improve your physical fitness as a teenager or adult is by performing different workout routines daily. For example, alternating between strength training on Monday, stretching and mobility on Wednesday, and cardiovascular fitness on Friday. In addition, you can opt to participate in social media challenges such as the #100burpeeschallenge or the #ultimateplankchallenge, which can introduce a sense of camaraderie amongst you and your family members whilst giving you a total-body burn during the lockdown period.
Picking Up a New Skill or Hobby
Another effective way to promote positive mental health in your child during the lockdown period is to help them pick up a new skill or hobby. A growing child is always eager to learn and discover, especially if it’s a new activity that they’ve not been previously exposed to. However, it is important to allow a child to attempt a new skill at their own pace as this will enable them to creatively express themselves in a stress-free environment.
For example, by teaching them how to make pizza dough and allowing them to include their own preferred toppings before putting it in the oven. Also, by allowing them to paint a picture with colours of their own choice or by providing them with a modeling clay and asking them to model the first thing that comes to mind when they are presented with creative text.
In stark contrast, teenagers or adults who intend to learn a new skill whilst being under lockdown require a structured form of guidance. The reason why these skills are more technical in nature is down to 2 key factors - quality and safety. However, this does not mean that there isn’t room available for creative experimenting.
When learning how to cook a meal, the recipe guidelines that you follow provide a basic foundation to ensure that the dish is fully cooked and has the basic flavour notes. Once you’ve mastered the basics of cooking that meal properly, you can then attempt to alter the flavour of the dish by opting to use different ingredients instead. In a similar way, when learning how to play an instrument, basic understanding of each musical note is required to help you understand how to play each song seamlessly. And once you’ve mastered the foundation of each song, you can then play it as you so creatively desire or to suit your own vocal range as well.
Social Distancing Does Not Deter You From Connecting
One of the key preventive measures introduced by WHO, social distancing, is purposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 between individuals through close contact. This is because respiratory droplets containing the virus can be transmitted through a sneeze, cough, talking or even breathing. It ties perfectly with the implementation of lockdowns or movement restriction orders globally as it minimises the risk of rapid transmission as well.
And while this could mean countless days of not being able to physically interact with close family members (especially if you’re working or staying at a different location from your spouse and children) or friends, there are online social platforms that you can use to help you stay in touch with your loved ones, both individually or as a group.
Additionally, you can use these platforms for other reasons such as to conduct online team meetings or team-building activities with your work colleagues or to undergo a personal training session with your fitness coach.
Practicing Mindfulness Can Help Calm the Mind
Incorporating the use of mindfulness techniques can be extremely helpful during this difficult time especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the frustration of not being able to go about your daily routine as per usual. This is because practicing mindfulness allows you to tune in to your emotions, validate them and figure out how to overcome stressful situations via alternative methods.
Similarly, parents of young children are also responsible for instilling mindfulness in their children as it will allow them to develop mental fortitude in braving the pandemic. One of the best ways to do so is to allow your child to vent their negative emotions freely, be it anger, fear, sadness or frustration. Once your child has done that, explain with brevity to them the extent of the current situation whilst teaching them the importance of taking the right measures in preventing being infected by the disease. To get the message across to them more effectively, punch in a quick search query on Google and use various examples of how other children around the world are dealing with the unnerving situation positively.
Even though a deadly pandemic should not be considered as our life’s “RESET” button, this time in lockdown may give us the opportunity to help us understand ourselves better. It should be used as a time to reflect on how we are actually capable of more than what we thought. Persevere. Be grateful. Learn to love the little things. And most importantly, stay safe
We hope that some of advices here will help you keep a healthy state of mind while being confined. If you want a health insurance to make sure your physical health is covered, fill in the form below to get a quote. One of our advisors will contact you back within 24 hours. 
