Lifestyle

Life At Home: How Families are Spending Their Time at Home Durning COVID-19

Published

6 years ago

May 25, 2020

The outbreak of COVID-19 has sent shockwaves through everyone in the entire world. The virus tends to favor those with weakened immune systems but also thrives in healthy individuals as well. Because of its rapid spread, government officials have implemented city lockdowns to flatten the curve of the virus. And although the lockdown has forced people all over the world to stay at home, it has also made families get creative in how they spend their time at home.

You have to admit, this extended time at home might have been a little painful at first, but now that you’ve adjusted to home life for a few months now, it’s really not that bad. In fact, according to axios.com, COVID-19 is reshaping family dynamics.

While families are cooped up together under one roof, they’re, of course, going to bicker and moan, but history also tells us that when families endure hardships like what the coronavirus is putting families through, it helps families build strong connections.

Everyone, of course, has their own opinion on how coronavirus is impacting their family life, but there’s certainly no denying the fact that it has forced families to find alternative ways to spend their time at home TOGETHER!

Because of the virus, it has forced people to do most things virtually that they would normally do in-person. Nonetheless, people are adjusting just fine and making the best of the situation… that’s really all you can do if you think about it.

So how have you and your family been spending time together to make things fun? Here are some ways other families have been making the most of their time at home and having fun.

How Families are Spending Their Time at Home During Coronavirus

Cooking: Bringing Meals From Their Favorite Restaurants to Their Own Kitchen

With COVID-19 not only impacting families but businesses too, it has made the restaurant industry take a hard hit… All businesses, including restaurants, have been shut down in efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

Because restaurants are closed, it’s forcing families to blow the dust off of pots, pans, and skillets that they haven’t used in ages. There are some restaurants that have been doing food deliveries but most times, it’s your favorite restaurants that need a food delivery app of their own but they don’t and that’s why you have to recreate those meals on your own.

Places like hibachi grills, Mexican restaurants, and burger joints are all being recreated in the homes of families all over the world. An electric griddle is what has been saving the lives of families all over the world!

You can buy an electric griddle at most grocery stores or supermarkets for as little as $19.99. And for $19.99, you can sautee your vegetables just like you see at hibachi restaurants. You can make grilled burgers that taste just like the ones at your favorite diner; And let’s not forget about breakfast… With a griddle, you can make a big batch of pancakes for the whole family in less than 10 minutes!

Patio Installation: Keeping the Fun Going From Indoors to Outdoors

Remember how you’ve been saying that you want to have a patio deck installed but never got around to it? Well, there’s no better time than now to have this particular home renovation project done. You just need to find the right contractor to install it for you. If you need a patio contractor in Kansas City, you have a wide selection of reputable and trustworthy companies to choose from.

By having a patio installed, you have the ability to fully enjoy your outdoor space whether you want to have a barbecue or simply enjoy the warm weather and pretend you’re on a beach. The biggest perk with a patio, especially during the coronavirus outbreak, is that it gives your family a change in scenery… Even though you’re still at home, you’re at least outside, and that’s something.

Tik Tok Challenges: Seeing Who’s the Better Dancer of the Family

Tik Tok has taken the world by storm during these challenging times and it has been a reliable source of entertainment for all ages. You see everything from grandparents doing the “Savage Challenge” to frontline nurses doing the “Flip the Switch Challenge.”

Because we’re in trying times and are seeing every day how COVID-19 is taking the lives of those we love on a daily basis, it’s sometimes a refreshing mental break from the sadness of life as we know it. Whether you decide to make TIK Tok videos with your pet or with your kids, take the time out to do it…

It might be silly to you but once you get the swing of how it works, you’ll look up and realize your family is having a great time together just being silly, and for that, coronavirus has brought a silver lining for lots of families.

Lifestyle

When Seasons Shift: Dr. Leeshe Grimes on Grief, Loneliness, and Finding Light Again

Published

3 days ago

February 22, 2026

Michelle Langton

Some emotional storms arrive without warning. A sudden change in weather, a holiday approaching, or even a bright sunny day can stir feelings that don’t match the world outside. For many people, the hardest seasons are not defined by temperature; they are defined by what’s happening inside, where grief and loneliness often move quietly.

This is the emotional terrain where Dr. Leeshe Grimes has spent her career doing some of her most meaningful work. As a psychotherapist, registered play therapist, retired U.S. Army combat veteran, and founder of Elevated Minds in the DMV area, she understands how deeply seasonal shifts and unresolved grief can affect people. Her upcoming books explore this very space, guiding readers through the emotional weight that can appear during different times of the year.

What sets Dr. Grimes apart is her ability to see clearly what many people overlook. Seasonal depression, for example, is usually tied to winter months. But she often sees it appear during warm, bright seasons, the times when the world seems happiest. For someone already grieving or feeling disconnected, watching others travel, celebrate, or gather can create its own kind of heaviness. Sunshine doesn’t always lift the mood; sometimes it highlights what feels missing.

The same misunderstanding surrounds grief. Society often treats it as a short-term experience with predictable phases and a clean ending. But in her practice, Dr. Grimes sees how grief keeps evolving. It doesn’t disappear on a timeline. It weaves itself into routines, memories, and milestones. People learn to carry it differently, but they rarely leave it behind completely. And that’s not failure, it’s human.

Her approach to mental health centers on truth rather than pressure. She encourages clients to acknowledge the emotions they try to hide: sadness that lingers longer than expected, moments of joy that feel out of place, and the waves of loneliness that return even when life seems stable. Instead of pushing for quick recovery, she focuses on helping people understand how emotions shift and how to care for themselves through those changes.

Much of her insight comes from her military years, where she witnessed the emotional toll of loss, transition, and constant survival. She saw how people continued functioning while carrying pain that had nowhere to go. That experience shaped her belief that healing requires space, space to feel, to speak, and to move through emotions without judgment.

In her clinical work today at Elevated Minds, she encourages people to build small, steady habits that anchor them during difficult seasons. Journaling helps them recognize patterns and name what feels heavy. Community support breaks the cycle of isolation. Therapy creates a place where emotions don’t have to be minimized or explained away. And intentional routines, daily sunlight, mindful breaks, and calm evenings help rebuild emotional balance.

Her upcoming books expand on these ideas, offering practical guidance for navigating both grief and seasonal depression. She focuses on helping readers understand that healing is not about escaping pain. It’s about learning how to live with it in a healthier way, honoring memories, acknowledging loneliness, and still allowing room for moments of light.

What makes Dr. Leeshe Grimes a compelling voice in mental health is her ability to bring language to experiences that many struggle to explain. She reminds people that emotional seasons don’t always match the weather and that there is no single path through grief. But within those shifts, she believes there is always a way forward.

The seasons will continue to change. And with the right tools, compassion, and support, people can change with them, finding steadiness, softness, and light again, one step at a time.