Maintaining a healthy body and mind in trying times

YK Pao School has always emphasised the importance of maintaining a healthy body and mind. And indeed, under the current circumstances, it is important to pay especially close attention to both our physical and mental health. This goes for everyone in the Pao community, and it is especially important that parents set the right example for their children at this challenging moment.

The following are some strategies that you can use to help your children and family cope with stress and anxiety in this very unique time.

Simone Sancinelli, HOD Physical education and Sports Coordinator at the Songjiang campus, notes that evidence-based studies suggest that regular aerobic exercise and resistance training are two strategies to expand the level of energy we need to maintain health and perform adequately during the day. The immune system is temporarily suppressed post-workout. One hour after exercise there are fewer immune cells in the blood. However, this temporary immune system suppression is the key health factor.

Professor of Neurobiology John Campbell at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) discovered that during post-workout, those cells move to all body tissues to look for potential pathogens. This new evidence combined with the fact that short but intense workouts stimulate the internal production of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) (the first line of defence in the resistance against infection, via inhibiting bacterial and viral adhesion) suggest that the following guidelines are very relevant for making exercise beneficial:

"I wish you all to stay positive and mindful during your day. Making exercise a central part of your daily routine will help you," Simone says. Further, exercise is an activity that parents and children can do together or separately, at any time of the day. Remember, sitting for too long often causes one's energy levels to fall, and mood to worsen. 

Floor running

Squat thrusts

Plank- knees to elbow

Forward and backward jumps

Right leg hop

Fast feet

Communicate with your children about what the coronavirus is, how it spreads, and how to minimize the chances of being infected. Make sure to do so in a calm way. If adults convey panic to their children, the kids will be adversely affected. The point is to educate, not scare, and to connect your child with a sense of safety. During a time such as this, there can be a lot of fear that our children experience. However, it is also important to send the message that even where there is fear, there are things we can do to keep ourselves safer. 

Limit media and social media use for yourself as well as your children. While media and social media can be helpful in informing the public of needed information, excessive use of these channels is associated with higher anxiety levels. Limit your media use and that of your children only to trusted, reliable news sources, and limit the time spent consuming media. Instead of checking the news constantly, unwind with a good book. 

If your child expresses any sort of emotion, positive or negative, while you are discussing this topic with them, let them know that their feelings are acceptable. Their feelings, whatever they are, are appropriate and it is safe to express those emotions to you. Additionally, don’t judge your child’s emotions, or try to “correct” them. After acknowledging your child’s emotions, express your empathy. Perhaps you are feeling similar emotions—don’t be afraid to express them to your child in an age-appropriate manner. Empathy can help the child feel understood and not alone.

At the same time that we’re keeping thoughts away from negative, we steer them towards the positive. The practise of gratitude has been shown to improve mood and assist in combating negative emotions. Help your child to start a gratitude journal. By committing to writing or drawing down three to five great things that happened or things that you are grateful for during the day, we force the mind to think about the positive things in your life. One rule: try not to repeat anything you’ve said on previous days!

During this unique time, when many schools and workplaces are closed, it’s best to establish a daily schedule and stick to it as closely as you can. Again, this is a time when it's crucial for parents to set the right example for their children. Remember: Without a daily schedule, it will be easy to lose track of time, and experience more negative emotions. Goals need to be set and achieved, even if the work and study environment is confined to the home. In fact, people are capable of using time effectively under many challenging circumstances if they put the right procedures into place. Remember that the better you and your family manage your time, the better all of you are likely to feel about yourselves.

Try to include many of things that would normally be on the schedule, as such as work time (use any e-learning resources provided by your child’s school, or free downloads from the internet), practising your musical instrument, meal times, naps, snack times, exercise, etc.  Remember to set regular sleep and wake times, despite a “flexible” schedule.  You may also need to get creative regarding some of the items on the schedule—for example: if your regular gym is closed, you may need to replace it with an exercise video that can be done together as a family.

This time can be used to discover and develop new skills. Learn something new with your family! Maybe it's time to read that 1,000-page novel that there is no way you would have time to read under normal circumstances. Maybe it's time to learn how to cook some delicious dishes that require meticulous preparation. Maybe it's time to learn how to play Go properly. There are many possibilities. Most importantly, bring your child’s focus and attention on what it is possible for them to do that this time, not what they cannot do. 

During sleep, our bodies repair the day’s damage and our minds organize our memories and move our learning from short-term memory into long-term memory. Better sleep helps you focus and allows you to focus on the many positives in your life. To help you sleep better, try to go to bed at the same time each night, keep your electronic devices out of the bedroom, and try some relaxing yoga or mindfulness techniques to help you wind down at bedtime.

Kendra Zigler, Wellness Program Coordinator, offers some advice on how to maintain good hygiene at this time. 

Thanks to the Primary Counselor Jennifer Jost and Middle School Counselor Pinxuan Luo for providing contents.

Special thanks to Dr George Hu, President of Shanghai International Mental Health Association for providing content and psychological advice.

Hygiene Tips offered by WHO