How to Keep Your Family Healthy While Social Distancing.

Make use of these ten suggestions to maintain the health of your loved ones while you are at home.

1. Engage in physical activity alongside one another and go outside.

Both adults and children need to get up and move around throughout the day, especially considering that more and more of us are working from home or participating in distance learning, which both require us to spend more time sitting. Keeping active is not only beneficial to our physical health, but it can also assist in the battle against stress and anxiety that may develop as a family copes with the disruption of their normal daily routine.

Every day, children should participate in an activity that raises their heart rate for at least sixty minutes and move around. There are a variety of activities that your family can do together at home, such as participating in a virtual fitness class or having an impromptu family dance competition. Even though there are fewer places for your family to exercise, it is still important to stay active. It is safe to take your family outside for exercises, such as going for a walk or riding bikes, as long as you keep a distance of at least six feet between you and other people.

2. Drink enough water.

Maintaining an adequate level of hydration is essential for the proper operation of your body. The amount of energy you have, the way your brain works, and your overall health are all significantly influenced by water. It can be easy to forget to drink enough water when there is so much going on, but you can encourage your children to increase the amount of water they drink by using the following inventive strategies:

• Make use of a wacky straw.
• Make the water into fun shapes and freeze them so you can add them to their drinks.
• Increase the amount of fruit and vegetable consumption in your diet.
• Add pieces of fruit or a splash of juice to your water to give it flavor.

You can also instruct your children to track the amount of water they consume by having them observe the color of their urine. They are doing wonderfully if the color is a light yellow or if it is clear. They should consume more water when it’s dark outside.

3. Limit the amount of caffeine you consume.

Consuming excessive amounts of anything, including beverages such as coffee, tea, or soda, can have negative effects on one’s health. Both your heart rate and blood pressure can increase when you consume caffeine, which can hurt your overall health. Try to avoid drinking an extra cup of coffee because it will be harder to get rid of once things return to normal. Since we do not know how long we will be quarantined, this advice is especially important.

4. Suggest to everyone that they consume a diet that is both varied and complete.

Because you may not be going to the supermarket as frequently when you are socially distancing yourself, it may be more difficult for you to select foods that are good for you. Put forth your best effort. Take advantage of frozen fruits and vegetables if your freezer can hold them. These foods are harvested at the same time as fresh produce, but they are “flash frozen” to preserve their nutritional value. They have the same amount of nutritional value as the original, but they can be stored for longer.

Try your best to stick to a normal eating schedule consisting of three well-balanced meals each day, even though it may be tempting to snack more frequently when you’re working from home. Because we don’t know when we’ll be able to get back to our regular schedules, it’s okay to give in to your cravings every once in a while; however, it’s important to make decisions that won’t derail your progress in the long run. On the other hand, it is not unusual for children to consume a much smaller amount during mealtimes; therefore, you shouldn’t be afraid to offer them nutritious snacks at various points throughout the day.

5. Devote some of your time to fostering community.

Because of the proliferation of social media and technological advancements, it is currently more difficult than ever to give one’s full attention to one’s immediate family. In addition to this, many extended families are geographically separated from one another, which makes it difficult to have “a village” nearby to assist when it is needed. Make use of technology to organize and facilitate the holding of virtual family gatherings with distant relatives.

Isolation from others is a stressful situation. Because of this, right now is an excellent time to improve the cohesiveness of your family by being purposeful with how you spend your time together. Sharing meals is one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal.

In addition to maintaining connections with your immediate family, you are also able to participate in virtual gatherings that are hosted by regional or national organizations. The use of video feeds is becoming increasingly common in zoos, parks, museums, and churches all over the world as a means to entertain visitors, foster connections based on common interests, and preserve cultural and religious traditions.

6. Establish a routine for going to bed and ensure that you get enough sleep.

One of the best ways to determine whether or not you are getting enough sleep is to evaluate how you feel first thing in the morning. Do you feel exhausted or do you feel refreshed? A sufficient amount of sleep is essential for maintaining sufficient energy and maintaining the ability to concentrate throughout the day. If you or your children are having trouble, you should make an effort to get to bed earlier. Having a set pattern for when you get ready for bed each night can make it simpler for your body to transition into sleep mode.

Because your children may be processing the events of the day at bedtime, this can be an excellent opportunity to connect with them emotionally. Because of this, right now is an excellent time to…

7. Express how you are feeling to others.

Because of all the unpredictability and shifts, a lot of people are feeling more anxious than they normally would. It is healthy and normal to experience a wide range of feelings, including anxiety, grief, anger, and so on. You should encourage your children to talk about how they are feeling and reassure them that their emotions, no matter what they are, are normal and valid.

8. Spend as little time in front of a screen as you can.

Even though it’s important to be aware of what’s happening in the world, spending an excessive amount of time on social media or watching television can cause feelings of stress and anxiety. Even though your children may be required to use technology to a greater extent than usual for distance learning, encouraging them to participate in a variety of other activities in short bursts of time in between their screen time can help to keep them interested and engaged.

9. Engage in preventative medical practices, such as washing your hands frequently.

Properly washing one’s hands is consistently one of the most effective ways to limit the spread of germs and avoid illness. You can lessen the likelihood of becoming ill by adhering to additional recommendations provided by preventive medicine, such as the following:

• Sneezing and coughing into your sleeve to avoid spreading germs
• Cleaning and disinfecting the surfaces in your home that are frequently used
• Maintaining current status concerning routine checkups and vaccinations

10. Collaborate with your primary care provider to manage your health using video visits or other forms of electronic communication.

Because of how quickly information can become outdated, separating fact from fiction can be challenging. Your primary care provider, also known as a PCP, is the most reliable source of information that you have access to, and they are available to address any questions or concerns that you might have.

Make use of available technology to communicate with your physician about the optimal location and time to seek medical attention. Many medical practices are now communicating with patients virtually by utilizing a variety of services, such as the Video Visits offered by MedStar Health. These services connect patients to medical professionals through the use of mobile devices, computers, and tablets. Find a primary care provider in your area, or get in touch with the one you’re seeing now, and ask about the best way to keep in touch.

If you or a member of your family is experiencing difficulty breathing, a persistent cough, or an increase in fever, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible.