Wellness Activities During COVID

It is no secret that right now we are living during unprecedented times. With the uncertainty of what is going on in our world, country, and communities due to COVID, comes a feeling of unease as we try and navigate our “new” day to day. It is important not to stress about whether we are doing enough or too much during our days spent at home. What we should be doing is turning our living spaces into a safe place where we can feel good about ourselves and our choices, and focus on our wellness. Wellness can be physical, emotional, and mental. Here you will find five awesome activity ideas that will positively support your own wellness and the wellness of your family.

1. Diet Reset 

For the Adults: 

The way we eat can actually impact our overall well being. It can affect our energy levels, our motivation, and how we feel about ourselves. Without getting too scientific … the food we eat affects our hormones, and our hormones affect our overall wellness. “The Hormone Reset Diet” by Sara Gottfried is a must read when trying to rebalance your hormones. Another way to “reset” your eating habits and how your body feels, is doing clean eating for as little as three days to as long as thirty days. Check out: “How to Detox the Whole Body in 30 Days” for some inspiration. Perhaps you are just wanting to nourish your gut and are looking for some tummy friendly drinks and foods to add into your daily routine, “Mona Vand, Pharm. D” has you covered with a great video to follow along.

For the Kids:

How can you get your kids excited about or on board with re-introducing healthier eating habits? Get them excited about fruits and veggies! Maybe you pick up some new produce that they haven’t seen before: tri-coloured carrots, purple sweet potatoes, dragonfruits, or starfruits! Get the kids involved in the preparation, nothing is more fun than get your hands moving, and sensory play is a must do during these times stuck inside. Have them help menu prep, meal prep, or even cook. Here are some great kid friendly recipes to get your kiddos involved “Kid Friendly Food Prep Recipes“.

2. Yoga 

For the Adults:

You may be a veteran yogi, or new to yoga completely. It doesn’t matter, because yoga is always great for beginners and experts alike. You can search up “Youtube” for yoga videos (there are tons), or you can challenge yourself to do a yoga challenge. “Yoga with Adriene” has amazing thirty day yoga programs that nourish your soul, mind, and body equally. Check out “HOME – 30 Day Yoga” or “TRUE – 30 Day Yoga”, and sit back as your mind relaxes, your breathing improves, and your body gains strength and flexibility.

For the Kids:

A great way to get your kids involved in moving their bodies and staying active is having them join you on your yoga journey! “Youtube” is full of kids yoga that will help your kids stay busy, stay calm, and get moving. “Cosmic Kids Yoga” is spectacular for younger kids, with themed yoga sessions full of their favourite television and movie characters, holiday celebrations, and more!

3. Get Outside

For the Adults:

I am sure you have been trying your best to get outside and go for walks. Please be assured that it is important to keep walking through these weird and uncertain times. Being outside in general has so many benefits for your health. Sunshine and fresh air has been proven to help people recover from injuries and illnesses faster. Vitamin D and oxygen are like health soldiers helping your immune system keep you healthy. Physical activity always benefits our health, especially our mental health. When we see others (from a safe distance), work on a project like gardening, or have an adventure like bike riding to a new spot in town, our mood improves and our minds can relax. Being outside also increases our energy, because breathing in fresh air means your body is getting more oxygen. Getting more oxygen also helps you digest food better, and helps cleanse your lungs of toxins. Not to mention, vitamin D increases your serotonin levels, helping to combat sadness.

For the Kids:

Going for walks or bike rides can help beat the boredom for your little ones. Try a scavenger hunt with your kids when you go for a walk, even make it a competition. You can focus your scavenger hunt on a specific subject like “Literacy,” or more general such as “Objects and Colours”. Maybe you can turn the walk into a good deed mission, and do driveway or porch “drop offs” of baked goods, drawings, love notes, or postcards, for family, friends, or teachers that live nearby

4. Declutter Your Space 

For the Adults:

Since we are confined to our homes and we are trying to ensure they are safe spaces for our wellness, what better way to do so than by decluttering and spring cleaning. When we set aside time to clean our homes, a couple of great things happen: the air feels fresher, we feel accomplished, we feel happier, and we feel proud of spaces. Netflix has a great special for Marie Kondo, that can help you do a big transformation of your space and help spark more joy in your “new” day to day. If you aren’t looking for such a crazy change, do something as simple as switching your winter clothes to summer clothes; vacuuming, dusting, and mopping; or simply doing your laundry. No decluttering or cleaning activity is too small, and all will contribute to your overall wellness.

For the Kids:

“Chores” has such a negative connotation to it. During these times stuck at home, get the kids involved in the cleaning and make it fun! You can have them “Spring Clean” their own spaces and items such as their toy collections or their clothes. Check out “Spring Cleaning with Kids” for some fabulous ideas. You can make it a challenge that tracks what cleaning activities your kids do throughout the week, and have weekly rewards. A great system is “Simple Chore and Reward System Your Kids Will Love”. Your kids will surely feel proud of what they can accomplish!

5. Sit Less & Connect More 

For Everyone:

Being in such a confined space can be overwhelming, stressful, and well … boring. It is likely we are sitting way more than we used to be when we had carpools, drop-offs, work, errands, extracurricular activities, social events, and family gatherings. A great goal to have during these times stuck at home can be to sit 60-90 minutes less during our days. Studies actually show that sitting less improves blood sugar, cholesterol levels, contributes to increased energy, helps your mental health by improving your mood, and can help your digestion by metabolizing food better. This usually also means you are connecting with the members of your household more! Taking your eyes away from the screen, or using the screen to move more, can do wonders for your wellbeing.

This can look like:

Dance parties in the living room

Quick youtube workouts from personal trainers such as Natacha Océane

Going outside

Walking while you are on phone calls

Dance Dance Revolution or Just Dance on Youtube

Daily Physical Activities (DPA) with kids such as “Little Sports”