Improving the harmony at home during lockdown
These chaotic times have left us in a completely unprecedented situation, impacting each family differently. While the stay at home order has reduced household tensions for some, many families that rely on extra-curricular activities, child care or jobs outside home are experiencing challenges.
Here are some of our ideas on how to improve household harmony and make the most of this government-mandated family quality time!
Communication is vital
Passive-aggressive behaviour, while you’re all sharing the same four walls, will be counter-productive for all members. Instead, be open to communicating what’s bothering you, and be understanding of what could be bothering others. It’s important to discuss concerns and expectations about quarantine and what role each person can play to make it better.
At Love Learning Tutors, we love to update our family over either the first or last meal of the day by saying ‘Today I feel happy/ tired, energetic/ sad’ and discuss the reason why. This is the perfect opportunity to not only spend quality time together but also keep your family members aware of everyone’s needs to spread happiness at home.
Create a new routine
It’s no secret that humans are creatures of habit. We thrive on routine and structure. So, it is integral to set up a routine even during quarantine! This doesn’t have to be as hectic as your normal workweek schedule (let’s face it- we all love working in PJs), but just a routine of what time to wake up, shower, eat, binge on Netflix, etc. What’s even more important than creating your individual routine, is creating a family routine. On one hand, make sure that your individual routine doesn’t collide with a family member’s routine and on the other hand, set aside time everyday for the entire family to talk about their day, play games, watch movies, eat food and just spend time together. At Love Learning Tutors, we recently discovered that our favourite family game is Vertellis. This is a game that focuses on real talk and open communication and is a great game to improve communication and harmony at home.
Find your space
It’s normal and easy to feel a bit claustrophobic at home when multiple people are trying to do individual work in a shared space. It’s a good idea to try and designate zones to the common areas around the house into ‘relaxed zones’ and ‘work zones’ just to reiterate the process of trying to give everyone their own space to perform their individual routines, with the relaxed zones being spaces the family can enjoy together. At Love Learning Tutors, we personally love categorizing the kitchen as a ‘relaxed’ zone for some family-style cooking!
Remember, at this time, technology is our friend! A huge part of co-existing at home is also by feeling connected to others outside the home! We’re all used to social environments and it’s important to reach out to other friends and family! We’re all in this together :)
We’ve also created a study group on Facebook to learn together, answer questions as well as to conduct live sessions with various innovative and creative individuals from all walks of life, get a sneak peek into their lives and what drives them!
For other blogs on the body and mind, check out:
YOUR CHILD'S MENTAL HEALTH | MENTAL HEALTH WEEK 2020
HOW TO FOCUS - 7 TIPS TO HELP YOU CONCENTRATE AT HOME!
HOW TO KEEP MOVING - BODY AND MIND: EXERCISE, DANCE AND YOGA FROM HOME!
You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you. Follow these tips to reduce your test anxiety and go into tests feeling calmer and more confident.