At this point we are all probably a little bored with posts about how to build up your immune system or stay out of harms way. How about how to support our mental health by tapping into our playful and creative sides. So here are some creative ways to find refuge amid the chaos. Go grab a coloring book, turn on your favorite music, build a fort, or take a virtual tour of the world’s most iconic art museums. Here’s some fun ideas:

Create a self-care toolkit. Everyone’s idea of self-care is different. One common thread among many is engagement of one or more of the seven senses : touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, vestibular (balance and spatial orientation) and proprioception (body awareness).

Here are a few ideas for each: 

• Surround yourself with soft pillows or lie under a heavy blanket
• Drink a cup of hot aromatic herbal tea 
• Try out a stress-relief coloring book or some free-hand drawing
• Play comforting music or soothing sounds from nature 
• Infuse your home with the smell of lavender or eucalyptus oil
• Sit in a small swing or rocking chair
• Engage in daily yoga practice or meditation, no matter how brief

Children can also engage in self-care and self-soothing by creating a comfort kit (eg. an emptied cardboard box or bin they can decorate) containing crayons, Play-Doh, bubbles, arts and crafts or a stress ball that they can store at arms reach when feeling overwhelmed. 

Design your own sanctuary. Space is an invaluable resource right now, particularly in densely populated cities. To whatever degree possible, try to create separate spaces for working and retreating to relax. You can make your sanctuary space more comforting by adding soft and cozy pillows, blankets and cushions. It is important that children also have a place to retreat to for calming difficult emotions that may arise from feeling isolated from peers, online classwork difficulties or other stressors. Knowing everyone in the house has their own designated space to connect with peers or simply be alone and recharge will help alleviate household tension, generate greater calm and provide children with lifelong tools for emotion-regulation.

Some indoor respite ideas include:

• Having kids build a temporary hideaway fort out of sheets and other household materials to separate shared spaces with their siblings
• Creating designated work spaces that are as far away from sleeping areas as possible – a dining table, a kitchen counter and chair, or a hallway desk set-up.
• Giving your bathroom a spa retreat makeover by adding a few minor but ultra-soothing elements like muscle tension releasing epsom salt, fragrant bath bombs, an essential oil diffuser, relaxing music, scented or electric candles, indoor plants, a bamboo bath mat or super plush, over-sized, and absorbent towels.

A private museum visit. There’s no jostling and you don’t have to  struggle to read the interpretive label despite the tourists pushing in front of you. Set aside an hour, turn off your phone and social media, make yourself a hot drink, and embark on one of these surprisingly enjoyable online tours:

• The Louvre and Musee d’Orsay in Paris
• The British Museum in London
• The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam
• The Guggenheim in New York
• The Vatican and its Sistine Chapel in Rome
• Google Arts & Culture also has content from more than 1,200 museums and archives, including 500 virtual tours

Stay well and keep shining your light!

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