These 5 Ways Will Help You Improve Family Wellness
With the holiday season approaching, I wanted to share my thoughts on family wellness.
The world feels more frantic than ever before. I’m guessing that a lot of you ask yourself: how do I even start to develop a wellness plan amidst all the uncertainty?
I’ll tell you one thing: a wellbeing plan is not only a positive step toward lifestyle improvement; it’s quite frankly a much-needed one.
Developing a routine for the whole family is not easy, but it’s not insurmountable either. Taking small steps to change and improve productivity and wellness in your household means that everyone benefits.
What are the key ingredients to Family wellness?
Physical comfort, nourishing foods, and group exercise.
Good mental health of all the family members.
Productive activities, for example, sharing house chores or participating in the meal prep.
A sense of belonging and being listened to. The ability to share thoughts freely.
Daily routines to foster stability and enable your children to feel secure in themselves
It’s up to us to create the environment for ourselves and our family…
What is the atmosphere in your home like?
Is it calm or rushed? Relaxed or stressful? Peaceful or argumentative? Harmonious or anxious?
Here are 5 lovely ways to improve family wellness and cultivate togetherness:
Eating meals together
Having a family dinner routine by either prepping or eating together is such a good way to create warmth and bonding. If it’s challenging to schedule this on a daily basis, make a point of one evening and weekends for family togetherness over a meal. Make a commitment to do this on a consistent basis so it is a norm, not an exception.
balanced daily schedule
It seems as if the kids or young adults need to be ‘kept busy’ at a nursery or an after-school club. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that a jam-packed activities schedule is self-imposed. Choose wisely to ensure that everyone doesn’t end up tired and upset by the end of the week because of a hectic schedule - as soon as you notice that, take it down a notch.
Kids do not need or want to be busy all the time. They appreciate it when you spend time together so don’t prioritize activities that undermine the family’s togetherness and wellness.
Create a haven for your children to come home to if they have been out all day.
That may be no phone time for you while you reconnect with them to listen about their day.
It may be cooking together to share a new experience and to teach them some useful skills.
We have to invest in our children and the best way to do that is making sure that we give them our full attention.
fun family nights
Find an activity you all love. Puzzle, card games, coloring, doodling (my favorite!), baking - celebrate the small wins. The possibilities are endless.
Have regular discussions as a family and let everyone speak their mind. Allow your children to be able to voice their concerns, thoughts, and feelings. Give your children age-appropriate ways to express themselves and ultimately feel more invested and loved.
You may be tired, frazzled, stressed, angry or scared so work on your emotional stability. Kids are like radars - they pick up on vibes because they are so innocent. They may be experiencing those emotions as well - they are just a smaller version of you.
healthy environment
Toxins in your house can be found in the food we eat, the plastic bottles we drink from, furniture, toys or cleaning products. They all contribute to how we behave and how we feel. Growing toddlers and adolescents are even more sensitive to a bad household environment. Here are some quick fixes:
Switch to natural cleaning products.
Leave shoes at the door.
Ventilate your rooms, especially bedrooms.
Change the bedding regularly, especially pillowcases.
Don’t eat processed foods and avoid buying them wrapped in plastic. You know it’s harmful to your health.
Sleep is your superpower
Develop sleeping habits that are healthy for all of you. After all, sleep is where the magic happens.
Sleep is critical. It is your family’s key wellness ingredient, just as eating healthy nourishing foods and getting enough physical activity. Sleep supports your body’s health & metabolic functions and recharges your batteries. As you work to improve your health routine, don’t overlook the power of sleep.
Make sleep easier by having a regular nighttime routine. Come off electronic devices early.
We are not helping ourselves these days really... Our children are watching devices while they eat before they go to sleep - this is (sadly) how they are unwinding.
Encourage them to read more books and reduce their screen time. They need family downtime, a conversation, a hug - they need you.
Lisa
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