By Mumtaz Moosa-Saley

14:08:2020

We all have our moments when the issues of this year seem to be rather overwhelming, and we need a bit of me-time. Many of us have been stuck at home with our families during the lockdown, and we look at what we can do right now to keep our anxiety and stress at bay.

Call someone

Call someone you have been meaning to talk to, someone you have been thinking about in your family. Yes, the conversation may be awkward, but it helps you connect to family members and also gives you the boost you need.

Recently I have connected with a family member that I lost touch with due to being in different time zones. On Eid day she called out and it was a bit of an awkward 2 min initially but after that, we caught up on the last few years.

We are humans that need and crave human contact, so why not start with repairing family bonds.

Find a way to stay calm

When your child or spouse needs you fifty times a day as everyone is always starving this can lead to feeling frustrated and needing some time out.

Set a time with your kids and spouse and go for a walk, if you don’t feel like walking take time out once a day for 15 minutes and enjoy a cup of tea alone.

Yes, you are going to say easier said than done.  If you mention that this is your time and no one needs to come to you unless it’s an emergency, you will be gifted the time.

Personally, I love sitting in the garden and soaking up the sun.

 Keep your mind busy

This one I struggle with as much as I love reading, my brain and I can’t meet halfway on this.

So, I decided to try arts and crafts, the kids and I spend one day a week finding a YouTube video on learning how to draw or make items.  There is no pressure if it comes out looking like a 2-year-old made it, it’s all good as the end result is not perfection but brain stimulation.

Limit your screen time

If anything, this year has proved one thing – that we can spend hours online, we are ever ready to deflect our anger and project it on comments on news sites and random social media sites.

Limit your time and have a no phone day rule in your family. Pick one day and have those screens allowed for 12 hours.

Getting back into a routine

Structure your day, structure your children’s day from this week.  In a few weeks, all the kids will be back at school and the routine that once held a lifelong record was thrown out the window. Set bedtimes, wake up times and get that routine going. A structured day holds more value and will help you get back to the normal life you had before the lockdown.