One of the biggest challenges of having a child with a chronic illness during social isolation is the lack of respite for parents.
With restrictions limiting social contact, families who rely upon other family members, friends or even just their kids being at school to have a break are no longer getting this, which can take a toll.
We asked Perth Children’s Hospital’s Senior Social Worker Kirsty Browne-Cooper, pictured, for her top tips to look after your mental health during these unusual times.
“It’s really important to modify your pre-COVID-19 ways to promote self-care,” she said.
“This includes getting outdoors and taking a walk, relaxing when the kids have a planned distraction or simply allowing yourself to sit and breathe, chill, and enjoy a cuppa when you can.
“Focus on the positives of family time and create new ways to eat and communicate together.”
Mrs Browne-Cooper said simple breathing activities, meditation and yoga sessions were great for helping to deal with complicated or anxious situations.
She said there were a host of great apps that offered different styles and approaches to mindfulness. Here are just a few:
- Headspace: Offers insightful animation and analogies, as well as a simple approach to learning mindfulness meditation.
- Calm: Offers a variety of mindfulness features, including bed-time stories, guided meditations and breathing exercises.
- Waking Up: Sam Harris offers a neuroscientist’s approach to meditation, which is effective and straight-to-the-point. This is the app for adults who want a simple and straightforward guided meditation.
- Smiling Mind: Australian-based mindfulness and meditation app offering a variety of guided meditations and breathing exercises suitable for both adults and kids.