March Skill of the Month- Create Certainty in Uncertain Times

In times of uncertainty, Create Certainty for Yourself, you can control your environment of your home- space. It is important that you recognize that you may not be able to control what is going on in the world around you, but you can control some aspects of your life to help you have a healthy balance.

Find the positive in the crisis…you can spend time with close family members that you live with, that you may not have had the chance to spend good quality time with in a long time.

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Here are a few things to help when you are stuck at home self-isolating:

1. Create a Schedule that is like the one you had when you were working, or kiddos had school.

2. Do some Spring Cleaning- clean out cabinets, closets, and organize toys place items to be donated in bags to donate in a few weeks.

3. Go for walks

4. Create some fun games to play- scavenger hunts and treasure hunts.

5. Read a book – if the library is closed most of them offer online books now too!

6. Create a reading challenge or read out loud to someone

7. Help your kids get ahead with schoolwork

8. Make a new meal together

9. Have a baking day

10. Go geocaching

11. Camp out in the living room, make forts from blankets and chairs

12. Exercise at home- You tube has hundreds of videos for this

13. Have a spa day at home

14. Mediate or listen to a guided meditation

15. Listen to upbeat music

16. Watch comedies, or binge watch your favorite show

17. Do some creative writing or start a journal of what this time is like for you

18. Create a budget

19. Learn a new skill, like start a language course or other free online course

20. Plan a picnic or a romantic dinner to have on the floor at the house

21. Make a time capsule

22. Go for an “I spy” walk or a nature walk where you observe things and the write about it

23. Create a blog

24. Work on a project together as a family

25. Play hide and seek

26. Play board games, dice and card games (adults you can adapt these to make them more adultish too, like strip jenga, etc.)

27. Be creative- paint something, draw, color or do a craft- Pintrest.com is a great resource if you need help finding something to do

28. Do puzzles, play with Legos, make paper airplanes or origami

29. Teach someone in your family a mental health skill you have learned

30. Take a drive to the country if you need to get out of the house

31. Use apps like WhatsApp to connect to family and friends via Video or Phone calls

32. Create a movie night with popcorn

33. Have dance off’s- Youtube.com has some great dances on it

34. Set up in house bowling and keep score, using some plastic cups and a small tennis ball or other small ball.

35. Write letters to people

36. Play hopscotch or draw with chalk on the pavement

37. Look at the stars if it is warm enough to be outside

38. Karaoke

39. Have an in-house pizza party

40. Have a Jammies day

41. Set a schedule for different activities to try each day

42. Put on a play/sock puppets or real life

43. Blow Bubbles