Practical tips you can do and love (in a house full of kids and chaos)!

Before I go into some very practical ‘mum-friendly’ strategies to help make your time in ISO fulfilling and a growth opportunity for you, I want to share what’s really helped to keep my mind positive during this time of massive uncertainty.

There is a saying in Buddhism that “In the West, people PANIC when things are out of control. Buddhists however RELAX when things are out of control.”

What has really helped me to ‘relax’ in this situation and particularly home-schooling (I bet you can relate!) is staying…

PRESENT.

Staying present, and not allowing my mind to wonder into the future is so helpful. When we are present in the moment, things aren’t so bad (they can certainly be a lot worse). But when I think, “wow ISO can last for weeks…months…the rest of the year.” Well, I can then easily go into a panic!

When a fearful thought does creep in. I acknowledge it and try and see that thought from a place of love. For example, take homeschooling. If I look at this with dread and frustration…that is fear at play. If I just turn that thought around and chose to see it lovingly I can then appreciate the present moment for what it is. Spending time with my son.

I have done a lot of reading around this and I have two wonderful books I’d love to share with you about achieving presence and turning fear into love. Both these books have been life-changing for me.

• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• A Return to Love by Marianne Willamson

Now we’re ready to begin!

Here are my best 7 strategies to make your time in ISO more fulfilling and a lot less stressful.

I shared these strategies recently on my Live Facebook Show and the feedback was amazing with mum’s committing to at least 3 of these practices so they can come out of ISO feeling stronger, happier and healthier…and with new life skills. I’ve got a link to that show at the end of this post.

For each of these strategies, I’ve given a short explanation and then listed a few examples, many with links to resources I’ve found helpful.

1.Develop healthy eating habits:

Now is the BEST time to incorporate some healthy habits you’ve been putting off. Instead of ‘taking away’ (I think we have enough of that for now) from your diet, let’s focus on ‘adding’ or ‘replacing’. Here are some examples.

• I promise to eat ‘5, 8, 10 fruit and veg a day!
• Replace my morning toast/cereal with a beautiful fruit or green smoothie.
• Finish dinnertime earlier e.g. by 6 pm (promotes better sleep and weight loss).
• Replace gluten, dairy, and sugar with healthy whole food alternatives instead.
• Try a new recipe each week building on your cooking skills.
• Try a cleanse or detox. I’ll be doing the Medical Medium 9 day liver cleanse which I LOVE!

2. Put practices in place to develop a healthy mindset:

There are so many ways to achieve personal self-growth and looking inward instead of outward to find your peace and joy. These are actions I’ve taken that really help me grow and become self-aware. We can all do with these ideas! Start small to achieve consistency and then build from there.

• Discover the art of gratitude, manifesting, meditation etc. Pick an activity that resonates and learn more about it.
• Read books – Marianne Williamson and Gabrielle Bernstein really come to mind.
• Listen to podcasts on mindsets. Without doubt On Purpose with Jay Shetty is amazing.
• Apps are great and I love CALM where I’m currently doing a 30 day ‘How to Meditate Course’. Just 10 minutes a day as soon as the kids have gone to bed.

3. Set up a morning routine (max 10 – 15 minutes), because let’s face it, are your kids going to give you any more time!?

How you start your morning will pretty much set up your entire day. You’ll be amazed how much more positive you are (and how much that impacts the mood of your family) once you start to implement some of these. So put a plan in place and do your best to be consistent. You won’t always do things perfectly but with a plan we are likely to be more successful.

• Before getting out of bed, in your mind say 3 things you’re grateful for.
• Have a glass or two of lemon water before drinking or consuming anything.
• Practice a daily 10-minute morning yoga stretch to get rid of any aches and kinks from your night’s rest. YouTube has loads of options. I love this 10-minute video from Yoga With Kassandra.
• Set a single intention for the day e.g. get organised, enjoy family time, cook a family meal etc.

4. Get Organised!

Since we’re spending so much more time at home, there is no better opportunity to get organised. Start small and if you love this…keep going. When we organise we feel lighter, happier and less burdened. You can also get the kids involved in some of these. Here are some suggestions that I’m doing.

• Create albums in your photo gallery on your phone into ‘happy’ memories. E.g. Holidays, Kids, Food, Family. You’ll come across memories you completely forgot about that will make you smile.
• Organise your bookshelf! Chances are you have some great books you’ve never got a chance to read. Indulge and donate the rest.
• Create playlists for workouts, meditation, romance etc.
• Organise your wardrobes, pantry, garage etc. Bring out the labels and markers and go to town on this!

5. Consistently do short workouts:

Aside from staying fit and healthy, I truly do this for the mental wellbeing it creates. This is something I can put off, so a plan really helps with consistency and without doubt once complete I’m always so grateful and happier.

• Schedule in short bursts of exercise. I like short and sweet e.g. 8 minute work outs on abs, legs, shoulders etc. So many apps and programmes to choose from.
• If you prefer slow and strong: yoga, Pilates and stretches are amazing.
• Go for a jog, walk or hike outdoors if you can (while respecting social distance).

6. Learn a new skill:

This is a great one for the evenings (if you don’t have time in the day) and want to limit binge TV watching. Learning a new skill not only allows you to grow and develop, you can discover new passions. With online learning hubs like Udemy and apps at your fingertips, courses are just so affordable and accessible. Here are some ideas, but the options are limitless!

• Improve your cooking skills – try a new dish a week.
• Grow herbs or a veggie patch if you have a space.
• Learn to meditate.
• Create a vision board.
• Start a blog, vlog or online shop.
• Learn to knit, paint, draw, and create anything!
• Learn a new skill for your business (canva, video editing, podcasting).

7. Create and schedule family time:

Your kids will absolutely love this one and these moments may become their best memories in ISO. Even yours! So don’t miss the opportunity. Science has proven on many occasions that doing activities as a family really boosts children’s self esteem and self worth.

• Enjoy family dinners together. We have these early now at 5 or 6pm meaning the kids get to bed earlier. Now there’s an incentive! Or Sunday roasts if evenings are challenging.
• Games night and/or disco night once a week. Commit to it and make it a weekly family tradition.
• Gardening together as a family.
• Cleaning the house together and putting incentives and rewards in place.

So there you have it. This is what I’m doing and what seems to be really working for me mentally and physically. It’s also having a profound impact on the energy at home and everyone is happier for it.

If you want to get really inspired and discover new ideas then tune into my replay below and see what you’re ready to commit to that’s realistic and achievable. Then share which 3 strategies you’re committing to in the comments.

Facebook Live Video Replay: 7 Strategies to Reduce Stress & Increase Productivity In ISO

My Facebook Live Show is hosted inside my Facebook Group: Allergy & Health Support For Parents where you’ll need to be a member to get access.