Lately we have needed our stress management tools more than ever. We’ve invited a guest blogger* to give us tips and links to boost our coping skills. And get us through the next few months.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone differently, but stress and anxiety have been constants across the board. People respond to stress in different ways, and there are resources out there to help you determine what to do about these different manifestations of anxiety.

Counselors and Therapists agree: Stress Management matters for Mental Health

It’s okay to be stressed out about COVID-19 — it’s a stressful time! However, you need to take care of yourself, too. Finding ways to cope with the anxiety is key to your family’s mental stability, which is something everyone should be focusing on. Meditation, in particular, is a therapeutic practice that can assist with your mental (and physical!) health.

Meditation and yoga are activities the whole family can join in on, and it’s easy to get started. Perhaps you’ve already learned some mindfulness practices from Better Together Family Therapy. Now take some of these tips to start your own meditative practice at home:

Why meditate for mental health?

Meditation has been shown to help dissipate feelings of stress and anxiety. Practicing mindfulness puts your own mental health in focus.

It does this by allowing you to put your worried thoughts aside. By acknowledging your emotions and calmly accepting them -- instead of reacting to their contents.

Meditation can be essential in helping you regulate negative emotions and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can even improve cognitive function, as well. As you become more self-aware and reduce your stress, your brain works better.

Engaging in mindful activities, including breath work and body scan meditation, offer these benefits and more.

Can yoga create healthy family relationships?

As a natural follower of meditation, yoga is also a great way to strengthen mental stability and practice calmness. One of the biggest things you can do to improve relationships with the people you share a home with -- especially as you are spending more time together than ever during the pandemic --  is to devote time to group activities.

As a family, if you can create a routine of physical activity and stress-reducing techniques for, say, 20 to 30 minutes per day, you’re not only spending time together in a productive, meaningful way. You’re also inviting your family into your headspace and using them as part of your grounding ritual.

Yoga also has been shown to increase flexibility, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. All of which play a critical role in our mental health.

Getting started: Create your sanctuary

The COVID-19 pandemic may be the perfect opportunity for you to start focusing on your mental health by embarking on a journey of meditation and yoga. You are absolutely not alone in your feelings of anxiety and depression. Your whole family can benefit from having a concrete mental health awareness activity in these trying times. The place to start: your home.

While you’re turning part of your home into a calming environment for your meditation practice, remember the basics. Fresh air, vibrant colors, and uncluttered space will give you the most benefits from a mental health perspective.

Creating a fresh, clear area will help you focus on your meditation. And inject positivity into your environment and, by turn, your mind. Negative energies won’t stand a chance. 

You’re not alone

The next steps are up to you: Create a family routine, devote time and energy to practicing mindfulness, and see the results stack up. Are you ready to take the next step into a calmer, less anxious life — and get closer to your partner and children as a result?

Reach out to our Child, Couple, and Family Therapists now.

*A special thank you to guest contributor Amy Collet for this post. Amy is the creator of Bizwell.org, a website that helps professionals and entrepreneurs build and strengthen their personal brand. She is also the author of the upcoming book, You, Exemplified: The Role of Personal Branding in Your Professional Life.