Once in a while it's time to just hit the reset button. Pause, slow down, unwind, and absorb the happenings around you. Get back into a tradition, or start a new one. Purge those clothes taking up room and see if they spark joy anymore (spoiler alert - probably not). Bring back family dinners, healthy activities, and celebrate downtime! Here are a few ways to get back in the groove -
1. An attitude (and practice) of gratitude: focus on three positive things a day; look for things that were good and memorable from each day, and share those together as a family, whether at the dinner table, in the car on the way to activities, or elsewhere. Build gratitude into your daily practice and your focus will shift to the good and away from life’s hassles and disappointments.
2. Choose a day of the week and create a new family ritual: Taco Tuesday, Family Friday (Night)… create one of your own! Pick a day that your family will go all-in and commit to time together. We’re even bigger fans of incorporating physical fitness or activity of some kind into this ritual. Keep your brains and bodies healthy while building bonds that can last a lifetime.
3. Embrace new healthy eating and physical fitness: Even outside of time at NinjaZone, encourage your kids to adopt healthier eating habits and additional sources of physical activity. We know it can be tougher in the colder months, but find a safe activity inside that gets heart rates up and the blood pumping to their muscles and brains. Stock the house with healthy snacks like fruits that can be grabbed on-the-go and keep junk food out of reach.
4. Work on a project — together: Designated mom-or-dad-or-guardian bonding time makes such a difference in their little hearts and minds. Getting dedicated attention and time to relate to you and share the ins and outs of their day will pay off ten times over. The opportunities are endless — crafting, building, scrapbooking, cooking/baking — hop online (Pinterest is the best!) and find an activity or two each of your kids can look forward to doing with you.
5. Tech cleanse for all: It seems impossible but it’s not. Commit to and stick with a tech-cleanse, whether it be certain days of the weekend with no electronics, or choosing a time every day when everyone’s electronics must be put away for the night. This tends to work best if all members of the family cooperate, plus it frees everyone up to reconnect and pay attention to one another, not to things.