Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to protect your family's mental health during this very difficult time.

Know That This Will End

Although right now the pandemic feels endless, we need to remind ourselves and our kids that it won't be. Although we don’t know the specific timeline, the need for social distancing, closures and the life changes we are currently experiencing aren't permanent. Knowing this makes it much easier to cope.

Make Social Distancing and Self-Quarantining Manageable

For all of us, social distancing is a temporary fact of life, including business and school closures. For many, mandatory quarantine will be inevitable. Based on conversations I've had with people about COVID-19, these are the two chief concerns causing people to stress and worry. There are five steps (aside from stockpiling toilet paper) that will make it much easier to cope.

Resist the urge to treat this time as a vacation. Wake up each morning at a regular time. Make sure your kids are awake at the same time each morning as well, as if it was a school and work day. Keep a regular bedtime routine as well. This will help both adults and kids feel some normalcy within the disruption and will also make it much easier to transition back to regular life.

Create a schedule for yourself and your children for each day. For example, if they need to do schoolwork online, or work sent home by teachers, set aside the same time each day for children to do their homework without distractions. This will be easier with middle and high schoolers because many schools are conducting distance learning.

For younger children, it's up to parents to structure learning time during the day. For adults, a schedule is also important, whether or not you have a job outside the home. With young children at home, this may be challenging. However, creating a daily routine is important for everyone’s mental health, even if it is fully focused around the schedule you create for your kids.

Your family's schedule should include physical activity. Social isolating can trigger sad feelings and even depression. Exercise is scientifically known to combat these feelings, so use in-home equipment and find workouts online.

If you are not quarantined, take regular walks or bike rides, especially with children. I suggest working out a minimum of three times a week for at least 30 minutes. Set regular, scheduled times for exercise.

Limit your family’s exposure to news. It can be tempting to watch 24-hour news during this time. However, it is emotionally healthier to resist the urge to spend many hours watching the news. This can increase anxiety in kids and adults.

Younger children, in particular, can find the news scary. Set a limit of no more than a couple hours per day for watching and reading about the coronavirus. Do not keep it on in the background at home or in the car.

Use technology for social interaction. Don't retreat from social interaction – regular phone and video chatting with close friends and family is important for mental health. Even young children can and should video chat with grandparents, friends and cousins.

Starting Now, Make Plans Only for the Very Near Future – About Three Days

People are experiencing an enormous amount of anxiety because they aren't sure what will happen a week or a month from now. A temporary but important shift in mindset can significantly alleviate this anxiety.

For now, resist the urge to plan trips or activities more than three days in advance. By doing this, you will dramatically reduce anxiety related to decision-making and the question of whether you should cancel plans or not. You will have far fewer decisions to make.

Rely on Official Health Recommendations to Make Difficult Decisions

It can be immobilizing and painful to have to reconsider attending significant social engagements. Even more difficult is the decision to cancel major events such as a wedding, birthday party, bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah, holiday gathering, or anniversary celebration.

While this can still be incredibly sad, it is easier to rely on the advice of health officials to guide your decision. Remove your own opinion (or the opinion of others) from the decision-making process, and rely solely on health and safety recommendations.

Acknowledge Painful Changes Related to Social Distancing

I have heard many stories of emotional loss over the last couple of weeks: a bat mitzvah party canceled, a wedding postponed, a 90th birthday party abandoned, countless college graduation ceremonies likely to not happen and college and high school seniors being unable to complete their final year or experience prom.

These decisions are clearly necessary for the health of all, but yet are real losses that have a significant emotional impact. Allow yourself and your kids to talk about sad, frustrated feelings surrounding these losses.

In some instances, a child’s strong reaction to a more minor loss (e.g. sadness that a sports season ended early) may seem like too much given the severity of our current circumstances. But, for them, many minor losses and changes could feel very large and scary. Allow space for all feelings, including sadness, anger and frustration. Give yourself and your children time to adjust.

Know Anxiety or Depression Could Get Worse

Significant life stress, social isolation or the current unpredictability in the world could exacerbate anxiety or cause a resurgence in those who have experienced it in the past. This is true for children, teens and adults who struggle with anxiety disorders.

The risk for depression is particularly high for teens and young adults, especially when they feel isolated from their friends. If you believe you have a child who is at risk for depression, keep a close eye on them and seek help if necessary.

Try Not to Pass Your Anxiety on to Your Kids

Adults that struggle with anxiety are likely to find this time particularly difficult. Nonetheless, it is important to do your best not to pass on your worries and fears to your children.

We should communicate reasonable concern and enforce responsible social distancing, based on health recommendations. But we shouldn't dwell on worst-case scenarios related to COVID-19 or catastrophize in a way that will cause kids and teens unnecessary worry or fear.