The holidays bring great memories and joy but also the stresses of travel, family gatherings, and full schedules. However, the 2020 holiday season is going to look a little different. On top of the usual holiday hustle and bustle, COVID-19 has made planning any festivity more complicated.
To help combat the stresses of the holiday season and provide guidance for safe festivities during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have compiled a list of resources. Below you will find tips for fitness, stress management, choosing children’s gifts, strategies for families of children with special needs, and COVID-19 during this holiday season.
We hope you find these resources helpful as we enter a very unique holiday season!
– The Enablr Therapy Team
Looking for something specific? Click below!
Fitness Tips
Staying Active and in Shape During the Holidays
By Paige Waehner of Very Well Fit
While COVID-19 is a large concern for the 2020 holiday season, many of the normal woes of the holidays will still occur. It is hard enough to exercise during the course of a normal year but maintaining your fitness while traveling and being surrounded by treats, and huge meals can be even more difficult.
Travelling can make exercising more difficult since you won’t have your normal routine, gym, or equipment. In her article, Waehner suggests planning ahead and taking some time to research your options in the new area. Look for walking trails and parks, see if your hotel has a gym, or plan simple workouts that don’t require a lot of equipment. Next, get prepared to workout even if you don’t know your schedule. You might only have 10-15 minutes to yourself so bring some short workout routines that you could do in your bedroom. Lastly, use any opportunity you have to get a workout in or get moving. It doesn’t always have to be a routine, this could be as simple as helping with housework, playing with the kids, or walking the dog!
For more inspiration or a list of holiday workouts, you can view the full article here.
Managing Stress
12 Tips to Keep Families Joyful This Season
By HealthChildren.org
There can be a lot of stress associated with the holidays. While there are a lot of expectations, decisions, events, and shopping, it is important to maintain your mental and physical health. Healthychildren.org has provided 12 tips to keep families joyful this season. The list ranges from tips to keep your child happy during holiday events, how to manage stress, incorporating kids in holiday traditions, and reminders on how to avoid safety concerns. This is a quick read for parents going into the holiday season. The list also provides resources with more information and tips.
To view the full article click here.
Families of Children with Special Needs
Holiday Survival Tips For Families of Children with Special Needs
By Mama OT
The holidays are filled with a lot of excitement and out-of-the-ordinary activities. This can be stressful for anyone, but for families of children with autism and/or special sensory needs, these events can be difficult. The Mama OT blog offers 8 helpful tips for helping children with special needs during the holidays.
To minimize stress, for you and your child, it is important to communicate, plan ahead, and maintain a routine as much as possible. First, communicate with your child to familiarize them with who they will be seeing and what will be happening. Talk to your family and loved ones, so they know what to expect and how they should interact. Next, create a plan for specific situations such as creating a safe space, bringing your own food, and creating an alternative schedule if need be. Maintaining a routine will decrease the impact on your child and help with emotional regulation. This means staying with the same diet, not spending too much time in the mall, and keeping up sleeping schedules.
For more information and the full 8 steps, click here!
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For more information about sensory smart holiday plans, click here!
Choosing Gifts for Your Child
10 Non-Tech Holiday Gift Ideas to Promote Kids’ Language & Learning
By HealthyChildren.org
Play is one of the major activities that help children facilitate positive growth and development. When choosing gifts for your kids this holiday season, think about what toys will be beneficial at their age. HealthyChildren.org provides a list of non-tech holiday gift ideas and explains how each influences a child’s growth and development. Creating a balance between online and offline activities is important and traditional toys remain superior for children’s language development.
To view the full article click here!
COVID-19 Tips
How to Cope with Holiday Family Gatherings and the Coronavirus Pandemic
By Cleveland Clinic
This year we won’t just be thinking about what size turkey we need, we now have to consider susceptible family members, guest numbers, local case numbers, and much more. Cleveland clinic talked with psychologist Adriane Bennett, Ph.D. to offer some tips on how to cope with the holidays during the coronavirus pandemic.
There will inevitably be some difficult decisions this year, so it is suggested to plan ahead and refer to the CDC’s comprehensive guidelines for the holidays. It is important to assess all risks involved with each holiday event and remember that your health trumps your relative’s feelings. This could lead to skipping or cancellations, thus causing a lot of emotions. Bennett notes that it is important to communicate feelings of disappointment, from you and your family. Bennett also offers tips on how to approach difficult conversations and confronting relatives. Suggesting alternatives can be beneficial since there are still options to make the holiday meaningful! The article suggests thinking about what parts of tradition are important to you and finding other solutions. For instance, if food is a meaningful part of your experience, try a socially-distanced food exchange or swap recipes. Technology offers a great opportunity to connect digitally for various parts of holiday events so remember to take advantage of it. Be flexible and use this situation as a way to implement new rituals and traditions!
To view the full article click here!
COVID-19 (coronavirus) and Holiday Celebrations: Tips for Gathering Safely
By Mayo Clinic
Learn how to limit your risk of COVID-19 virus and what steps you can take to protect you and your family around the holidays. Mayo Clinic has provided a list of questions you can ask yourself to help determine the level of risk associated with holiday plans. Before committing to plans, it is suggested to assess the logistics of a holiday event such as the number of COVID-19 cases in your community, the community where the event is taking place, and where the guests are coming from. It is also important to consider your own health when deciding whether or not to host or attend an event. Are you or someone you live with at an increased risk of severe illness? Lastly, if you do decide to partake in holiday events, this site provides steps for before, during, and after the celebration that will help protect you and your loved ones!
To view the full article click here!
