How to Avoid Family Conflict During Self-Isolation

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many families to spend more time than usual in close quarters. While this can be a great opportunity to bond with your loved ones, your patience for your family’s quirks and annoyances is bound to wear thin during the endless days in quarantine. Fortunately, the loosening of lockdown restrictions will give you all a little more freedom to get out of the house and enjoy a much-needed change of scenery! Whether you decide to venture outside or stay put at home, here are some tips to help you relieve tension and avoid conflict.

Find Ways to Exercise Every Day

Pent-up energy tends to manifest as irritated outbursts. Make sure your household gets enough daily exercise to relieve stress and improve everyone’s mood. There are plenty of great activities you can do at home, including yoga, Pilates, bodyweight circuits, and HIIT workouts. If you’re not sure where to start, look up some exercise videos online. If you have a backyard, get your kids outside where they can really run around and burn off all that energy!

Get Out of the House

Spending time outside is a fantastic way to keep your spirits up during this troubling time. According to Mental Floss, being outdoors increases your energy, supports your vision, boosts your immune system, and encourages creativity. Plus, having fun in the sun will ensure you and your loved ones get your daily dose of vitamin D! There are several fun things you can do outdoors while still avoiding crowds. Explore the wilderness, go camping, take a trip to an uncrowded beach, or set up some classic backyard games. Find something to do outside that your whole family will love!

Have a Backup Plan for Keeping Everyone Entertained

When there’s not a lot of stuff to do and the weather is uncooperative to boot, it’s easy to let boredom get the better of you. And boredom can be stressful! Find ways to keep everyone in your household feeling calm and content so you can prevent tensions from flaring. For example, playing video games can be a great source of entertainment for kids and parents alike! Just make sure your internet is up to speed. A laggy, unreliable internet connection will only fuel your frustrations and make your gaming experience stressful. Online multiplayer games are particularly vulnerable to slow connections. Consider upgrading your internet to a fiber-optic connection so you can enjoy smooth, fast-loading games all day long.

Pick Up Some Fulfilling Hobbies

If you’re out of work, it may be hard to fill your days with fulfilling activities. This goes for kids who are home from school as well! To keep boredom at bay and avoid conflict between household members, encourage everyone to pick up a hobby. Some great hobby ideas for families include learning a language, starting a board game tournament, nature watching, gardening, scrapbooking, and cooking. You could even take martial arts classes online! There are countless fun and rewarding things to do from the comfort of home.

Maintain a Consistent Routine

When the world around you feels unpredictable and uncertain, it’s important to maintain some sense of control over your life. Sticking to a consistent routine will ensure that everyone in your family knows what to expect each day. This can help your family avoid those feelings of stress and anxiety that tend to exacerbate tensions. A household routine is especially important if you have young kids at home. Establish your family routine around daily activities like mealtimes, homeschooling, and bedtime. Try to schedule in fitness and outdoor activities as well as downtime for naps or quiet play.

Whether you’re still self-isolating or slowly venturing back out into the world, it may take some time for your life to return to normal. Help keep everyone happy and relaxed by making time for daily exercise, getting outside whenever possible, and picking up family-friendly hobbies. Find ways to relieve household tension during the pandemic so that you can enjoy a relaxing and harmonious time with your family!