Weekly Wellness Update
Week of May 25-29 - Setting Goals and Finding Balance
Finding a New Normal: Staying Healthy Together
Life in Alberta has been turned upside down with the COVID-19 outbreak. Home has always been where the heart is. Now it’s where we spend more and more time, working, learning, playing, eating and wondering when things will get back to normal.
With the answer unclear, your family may need to find a new normal for the coming weeks. These tips can help with day-to-day life. For information about COVID-19, visit Information for Albertans.
Find a New Routine:
Schools, daycares, rec centres, many public facilities and businesses are closing. Work life is changing by the minute. Countless moms and dads are juggling to keep up and keep their children safe. Nearly every family in Alberta has had their daily routine disrupted.
Planning and following a new routine can lend a sense of order to these topsy-turvy times, especially for children.
“Routines can help you and children feel more comfortable during times of uncertainty,” says Farah Bandali, AHS’s director of Healthy Children and Families with Healthy Living. “Day-to-day routines add structure to family life and reflect what’s important to your family. They’re also a way to let your kids know what to expect during the day.”
She adds: “Your family can make new routines for weekdays and weekends together. See what works for everyone. Be flexible—give and take a little and let everyone have a voice. You can change things around as you need. And you don’t have to follow routines to the minute.”
Wake up times, bedtimes, meals and snacks, play, walks and quiet time. All are examples of what you can weave into your family’s new routine. See the sample routine below to help you get started.