Hello Posse!
I thought with all the increasing stress levels people are dealing with, now would be a good time to talk about setting boundaries. Family and friends can be our greatest sources of strength and our greatest sources of stress. It is very important to know how to set boundaries, especially now, so we can manage our lives in these unusually stressful times.
Seeing as how I am not an expert on this topic, I would like to direct you to Dr. Rachel Zoffness' article on PsychologyToday.com (<--- click here). She outlines six steps to setting boundaries with family that I feel could also be easily applied to friends as well. We are living with unfamiliar circumstances right now with the CoVid-19 virus, economic issues, and dealing with isolation; these things are compounding the normal stress with which we all live. These are unusual times and it is more important than ever to focus on our own mental health.
Here are some other great suggestions for dealing with stress. Please, keep in mind I am not a doctor and this is not to be taken as medical advice. For actual medical advice, please seek out qualified, trained medical professionals.
Helpful Tips for dealing with stress:
1. Journaling
The University of Rochester Medical School has some great tips to get you started with journaling for mental health. (Click here)
2. Art Activities for Mental Health
Shelley Klammer is a therapist, an artist, and an expressive art educator who has 100 art therapy exercises available on her website. She also offers E-courses and online therapy sessions. (Click here)
3. Exercise!
Yoga is a great practice for stress relief. Try this 15 minute yoga video (<--- Click here)by SaraBathYoga on YouTube.
4. Eat Healthy
Having good nutrition can greatly improve a person's mood. Avoid things like excessive sugar and caffeine can impact your mood. FamilyDoctor.org (<--- Click here) has some great information on this topic.
5. SLEEP!
Harvard Health Publishing with Harvard Medical School has a great article (<--- Click here) on sleep and its connection to mental health.
6. Last but not least . . . BREATHE!
This 4-7-8 breathing technique helps to quickly reduce tension and allowing the body to relax. The method, developed by Harvard-trained Dr Andrew Weill, said to be a "natural tranquilliser".
Take good care of yourselves and be healthy my friends.
Dianne
Quarantine Boredom Buster
"HOT" WATER BALLOON TOSS
With the weather warming up, in some parts of the world at least, how about a game to help you cool down and get outside? This game is much like the kids game "hot potato" but played with water balloons. No actual hot water is used.
What you need:
Dish soap
Water balloons -- DO NOT fill with hot water --
At least two players
Instructions: Bring the players into a circle and have everyone soap up their hands (a very good thing right now). Everyone needs to get their hands good and slippery before the game starts. The goal is to catch the water balloon and throw it to another player without dropping it. With soapy hands, this will be a lot harder than you might think. A player earns one point for every dropped ballon. When the game is over, the person with the lowest score wins.
Have fun!
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