Blog article written by Melanie Dosen, LCSW
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, there has been an amazing outpouring of information, resources, and ideas on how we can safely physically distance ourselves and our kids at home while still attending to our academic, work, and daily needs. Figuring out what to prioritize and when during the day can be an overwhelming task for us all! One way to maintain a healthy balance is to use the Healthy Mind Platter for Optimal Brain Matter as a guide in creating your and your child’s daily plan.
The Healthy Mind Platter, created by Dr. Dan Sigel and David Rock, looks at 7 essential daily mental activities that promote healthy mental and emotional balance. Here are the 7 essentially daily activities, along with some ideas on how you can integrate them into your social distancing daily life:
Focus Time:
Helps us make deep connections in our brains.
Remote education and daily school assignments certainly provide opportunity for focus time in your day! Can you also incorporate engaging projects that center around your child’s interests, such as researching recipes for a baking project, or creating their own science experience or Rube Goldberg invention?
Creating a daily schedule can help ensure that everyone is getting the balance that they need. Websites such as Big Life Journal have helpful templates for making daily schedules and to-do lists. But if our interest and focus aren’t sticking to our schedule, this is the perfect time to demonstrate flexibility and adaptiveness! Allow your kids to keep creating and discovering if they are immersed in something, even if the schedule suggests that you need to move on.
Play Time:
Enjoying novel experiences enables us to make new connections in the brain.
We all need time to be creative and playful in our day! Science has shown that play helps children build new connections in their brains, express their ideas, and process big emotions. Integrate play time into your day together by going on scavenger hunts at home or in the neighborhood, or setting up a family art mural space to create a cityscape on butcher paper or a white board. Free play time with toys is always a great idea, too!
Need ideas on what to do during play time? Make a fortune teller with various games and activities listed inside: How to Make Paper Fortune Tellers : 10 Steps (with Pictures)
Connecting Time:
We activate the brain’s relational circuitry when we connect with other people and take time to appreciate our connection to the natural world.
During this time of world-wide social distancing, finding creative and innovative ways to connect with our loved ones, friends, and peers is crucial to maintaining our well-being. FaceTime or video chats with friends are a great way to check in, and writing letters or making cards for family members can also help us feel connected.
You can also connect to our natural world while at home by streaming live animal cams, from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to Pandas in Sichuan, China.
Physical Time:
When we move our bodies, we strengthen our brains.
Let’s make sure to get those movement breaks in! Set up daily “PE” time in your schedule--walks, hikes, or bike rides are still allowed, as long as we’re keeping a safe distance from each other. Dance parties, workout videos, or family yoga sessions are great indoor options.
Some fitness apps, such as Down Dog, are offering free subscriptions to teachers and students into the summer!
Down Time:
When we are non-focused and let our minds wander and relax, we help the brain recharge.
This is the time to give ourselves permission to let go. It’s so restorative for our brains to turn off the productivity switch and allow ourselves an opportunity to be open and relax. Not only are we letting our brains recharge when we give ourselves down time, but we’re also allowing our own creativity, ingenuity, and imaginations freely flow. Provide your child and yourself time to sit and be.
This may be a good time to pick up a book or write stories in a journal; you can also sit quietly and draw, paint, and color together. Find printouts of Mandalas or coloring pages to illustrate during this time of rest and recharge.
Time In:
When we quietly reflect internally, we help to better integrate the brain.
Maintaining our mental health and well-being is important now more than ever. Prioritizing reflection and mindfulness time, as well as time when we can express our fears, doubts, disappointments, and frustrations, will better equip us to handle the challenges that we’re facing.
Set time aside for writing in a gratitude journal; practice mindfulness together by doing breathing practices or going on a Rainbow walk as a family.
If you or your child is feeling overwhelmed during this time, many therapy practices are offering on-line telehealth services or parenting groups to provide support and help. Click here to see what on-line services The Center for Connection is offering now.
Sleep Time:
When we give the brain the rest it needs, we consolidate learning and recover from the experiences of the day.
A consistent sleep schedule will not only help our bodies stay healthy, but also help solidify all of the amazing efforts we put into integrating balance for our brains during the day. As best you can, maintain a sleep schedule for yourself and your child--the more routines and predictability we can integrate into our day, the easier it will be to adjust to this “new normal” of social distancing.
To help get to sleep at night, practice calming meditation before bed. Bedtime can also be a wonderful opportunity to connect, reflect on the day, and practice gratitude together.
Maintaining balance for ourselves and our children during a global health crisis is no easy task. The Healthy Mind Platter is not about striking a perfectly balanced schedule for yourself and your children, but rather a way to create space for you to get all that you need. Be sure to check back in for more 7 essential mental activity ideas. Be safe, and be well!