The Resilience Project partner Martin Heppell was going to explain this to parents during a now-postponed presentation in Ballarat this week, but he says these fundamental pillars of resilience are vital for the whole community to understand now more than ever.

Gratuity and empathy feed in to kindness and mindfulness which will be key to getting through some difficult weeks and months ahead with families spending more time than usual together, Mr Heppell said.

"It's going to be brutal and we've got to understand this is a moment in time for us; we have an opportunity where this is going to bring out the best or worst.

"What we are saying to adults is take this opportunity to reconnect with kids, build a deeper connection with them."

The Resilience Project has worked with the students, teachers and parents from more than 10 Ballarat schools and businesses over the past few years, with the project's founder Hugh Van Cuylenberg visiting in 2018.

"Gratuity focus on what you've got - don't worry about what you don't have and empathy lets you see things through another lens, from another person's shoes," Mr Heppell said.

"The neuroscience behind people who display kindness is massive, and you can't display kindness unless you empathise but when you do the brain releases oxytocin and what flows form that is self esteem, confidence, optimism, hope, and determination.

"Mindfulness will be massive in the next couple of months and it's about being focussed, calm, being in the moment, being present and knowing what to do when you do have anxiety and disruptive thoughts."

Mr Heppell said parents will have to manage their own emotions because of the unusual situation.

"The next couple of months our ability or inability to have hope and to adapt will be key. Those who adapt will be ok, people unwilling to adapt or modify their behaviour might struggle."

To practice gratitude, Mr Heppell suggests writing down three things you are grateful for as soon as you get up every day - small things that will lead to positive emotion.

Do the same at night and ask children at breakfast and dinner time what three things they are looking forward and three things that went well during the day.

Limit media and social media which is overloaded with coronavirus information, which will wear you down - particularly at night.

"Turn off devices before bed to improve sleeping and switch off from the bombardment of news," Mr Heppell said.

"Switch off at least two hours before sleep which gives you time to process and to practice other things like meditation to allow you to slow down and get back in the moment.

"Go to sleep with the three things that went well during the day in your mind as opposed to negatives. Sleep helps the immune system so we all need to be getting as much sleep as we can."

Mindfulness activities are something everyone can have fun with whether its puzzles, arts and craft, origami, listening to apps, meditation, storytime podcasts.

Mr Heppell said it's also important to stimulate the mind by following a passion, learning a language, cooking or learning new skills - something that enables you to be in the moment.

Exercise is also vital, even daggy dancing along to your favourite tunes with the kids.

"Whenever anyone is feeling low, get some music on and that gives positive emotion which enables them to feel good," he said.

Building a deeper bond with the adolescents in your life can be tough.

"The most powerful thing a parent can say to adolescent is 'I'm with you, I'm in a hole too. We all have to adapt to this situation we've never been through before and I'm asking you to do things out of your comfort zone but I'm doing things out of mine.'"

And it's important to know it's okay to have a bad day.

"It's okay to have a bad day, it's okay to have bad moments ... it's about what you do next and if you know what to do next you'll be okay."

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