Mindfulness educator addresses mental wellness during isolation due to COVID-19

Rest and release will run for the next four weeks on Sunday’s at 7 p.m., on the MindBody Balance Therapies website for all ages.

With the sudden change in routines naturally brings uncertainty that comes a flood of thought, emotions and feelings.

“Families who are used to having busy schedules, the social isolation is very much a big adjustment on all levels of our wellness and well-being,” Lawrence said.

Concerns Lawrence has heard throughout the last few days are how to maintain mental wellness with balancing work along with having children at home indefinitely.

“I have actually heard a lot from parents of adolescents because there is a lot of information out there to support the younger children but not so much for the older ones,” Lawrence said.

Lack of connection, social connection and finding a new sense of purpose are some of the concerns she is hearing.

Overall wellness not only incudes physical health but also mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Noticing different signs and signals on yourself and others can largely help while being overwhelmed, according to Lawrence.

“I teach people about the connection between mind and body because our body will give subtle signals of stress and tension before we are consciously aware that we might be overloaded with stress,” Lawrence said.

She said it is also important to be able to identify when we have excess emotions like anger and fear and worry that might be affecting normal patterns of wellness like sleep and eating.

While routines may be beneficial for certain families, Lawrence said stressing to nail down routine isn’t healthy either.

“This is actually a great time to have children take an active role in their own learning and interests because learning happens all of the time and is not limited to the four walls of the classroom,” Lawrence said.

Having a loose routine and structure of well-rounded activities for them such as outdoor time, arts and crafts, music and creativity are a few of the ideas she provided as being a mother who is isolating with her children.

Screen time is another concern Lawrence has heard from parents who are isolating, and not just the amount of time children might spend on them but more so on what they see.

“Being exposed to news and headlines might not be triggering our own stress but also the stress of our children,” Lawrence said.

Some mindfulness strategies to decrease the impact of stress on mind and body include spending time outdoors, moments quiet solitude to take full deep breaths to release tension from muscles, engaging five senses with surroundings, incorporating right brain activities, and journaling thought and emotions.

“If you feel symptoms that feel unmanageable, it is important to seek help and call your doctor or the Saskatchewan health line at 811,” Lawrence said.

Another website Lawrence recommends is www.sk.211.ca that offers community, government and health resources.

Editors Note: This article was amended to make clear the rest and release class will be held on the MindBody Balance Therapies website not on Facebook as originally reported.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser

by Angie Rolheiser

Mindfulness educator addresses mental wellness during isolation due to COVID-19

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