It is Lockdown Blues for the Children too!
The other day there was a feature on a daytime television about how children and adults cope with daily struggles. It’s a strange thing that I heard a few recommended actions that were similar to what I used and developed as coping strategies for dealing with some really troubled times.
a. Three Things To Accomplish. I would wake up in the morning and gauge how much energy I had, so if I had lots of energies I would limit myself to three big things and no more than that! I could do three tiny things as well but no more than that; and if I was on low energy mode I would list three little things to accomplish during the day and if I completed those three little things I’d be happy. I invented this to avoid feeling defeated or totally depleated.
b. Three Blessings per day. So for many years I would try to write my nightmares down in some effort to find out what those nightmares meant. And then I realised that I was dwelling on negative dreams, anticipating doom and sorrow and terror. So I used the number of threes again. Every evening I write three blessings from the day where I have lots of choices I have a task, I pay tribute to all of them but I select three to record, this ends the day nicely appreciating my life and the joys of living, your child/ren will engage well with this as well as yourself! Gratitude makes the world go round!
c. Clearing spaces and places. We all need places to be comfortable and rejuvenating and this includes our minds, community spaces and homes. So first of all I recommend reading or listening to ‘Code to Joy’ by Dr George Pratt to help clear the mind and reboot your body and mind connection. And create a space somewhere in the home for meditation and clearing your mind, make it a place to go to regularly and systematically with the intention of being clear and ready for the day ahead, I recommend the morning because you and especially child/ren will benefit greatly for having a clear mind fresh for the day instead of rushing breakfast down. When I was a teenager I used to get up and hour or two earlier than I had done growing up, so that I could do yoga, this kept me in shape, stronger and clearer. You will find bedrooms become tidier, the home becomes more ordered, work and study becomes easier and attainable and organised.
So that’s an abc of being mindful somehow and I share this as I have done with psychiatrists and mentors, they all work and you can become at peace and not a warrior of worry and wronged, you and child/ren will be clear, blessed and accomplished humans capable of anything.
one day soon, we will be able to return to feeling free to enjoy freedom again only this time we will value it more than ever before.
Gracie aged 5 before school begins :)