Time With Family: Top Healthy Benefits

Why Spend Time With Family

Spending time with family can have many benefits that we might not know about. In our world of pervasive screen time and social media, many of us have actually become less social in ways that are not only beneficial but essential to our mental and physical well-being. Some studies show that excessive use of social media platforms is one of the most significant risk factors of ending up in loneliness.

The benefits of spending time with family are such a critical component of an entire, meaningful life. It fulfils us with joy and happiness, which will positively reflect our health.

Here are the top benefits I wanted to illustrate for everyone who does not spend time with the family, and why everyone should.

Improving Mental health

Spending time with family especially face-to-face communication, as opposed to digital significantly reduces the occurrence of depression, anxiety, and other mental illness. Being physically present with loved ones creates a strong emotional support to buoy you up through life’s challenges.

Improving mental health is very important when it comes in being healthy in our lives. Being healthy is not only by nutrition and fitness, but also by having a good mental health.

An increasing body of research demonstrates that negative family relationships can cause stress, impact mental health and even cause physical symptoms. Research has demonstrated that non-supportive families can detract from someone’s mental health and or cause a mental illness to worsen.

Hence, it is essential that all family members put that in mind and spend more time together. Even if the connection is negative, every family member must put in the effort and make the relationship better, as this is for everyone’s mental health benefits.

When family relationships are stable and supportive, a person suffering from mental health issues or disorders may be more responsive to treatment. Companionship, emotional support and often even economic support can have a positive impact on someone coping with a mental health problem.

Boosts self confidence

Spending time with family builds confidence for all of its members. Parents can teach children to build self-esteem through specific skills such as problem solving and communication. They can also model the ability to love oneself without degrading others. For parents and children, confidence grows simply with the knowledge that they are valued and appreciated by their loved ones.

When you were a child, you were open to everything that happened, and your mind was highly impressionable. You didn’t have control over most of what you heard, saw, and experienced in your life. Experiences you had when growing up, and perhaps your current relationships with family members, all impact your self-esteem.

When parents appreciate their children and guide them toward their strengths, their children naturally develop healthy self-esteem and confidence. On the other hand, specific experiences in the family can lead to low self-esteem. By comparing the two, you can see what experiences you’ve had that have led to your sense of self-esteem today.

Spending time with the family can make us more confident in the outer world for all family members. We have the inner confidence that we cannot control, which is the feeling of security of coming back home, meeting with the family members and talking about our daily events. This everyday activity that we spontaneously do can build considerable self-confidence in us.

lower risk of behavioural problems

Children who are spending time with their families have shown less risk of behavioural issues, such as violence and substance abuse. When they receive positive attention for positive behaviours, it increases their desire to continue those healthy patterns. Being with family and doing activities together also provides an outlet for pent-up emotions that could otherwise lead to unhealthy decisions. Family is so important when it comes to a child (or teenager) bringing problems to you because your advice can allow them to become better equipped to cope with problems and make positive choices.

It is well established that behavioural problems in childhood (i.e., conduct problems, oppositional behaviours, and inattentive problems) negatively impact children’s long-term well-being through an association with school problems, work problems, social exclusion, and poor health. As with many other mental health-related issues, a social gradient has been established for behaviour problems.

Almost most individuals who suffer from behavioural problems have a terrible history with family or might not have spent time with the family. Spending time with the family can indirectly influence us to behave in good manners in our personality over time.

It is not their fault; it might be, but the main one to blame here is the parenting. Studies show that all children who did not have the chance to spend time with their family don’t have the knowledge of how to respect other people and how to behave in formal meetings or situations. That is why as parents, we need to know and understand how to deal with our children in all aspects so they will not suffer from behavioural problems.

HELPS CHILDREN PERFORM WELL ACADEMICALLY

On average, kids who are spending time with family tend to do better in school. They learn communication skills and the importance of education. When needed, assisting with assignments or new concepts reinforces the fact that their success is essential to you. Even just asking about their day and what they’re learning will show your children how much you care.

Pick a random classroom in a random elementary school. There will be students performing well and following their homework and duties. On the contrary, there will be students who don’t. In almost all cases, the reason for the students who are not performing well in school is that they are not getting enough attention from their parents.

Whether you are a parent, a teenager, or any family member you may be, it is important to spend time with the children in the house. Let them be your children or your siblings or relatives, you should spend time with them and always follow their studies or even discuss them.

Leaving the students without the family’s attention can negatively affect their studies, and they grow up with no urgency about learning, which will result in low academic results.

Hence, if you have any relatives living among you who are going to school, try to spend time with them discussing their day at school and their studies. You will notice that they started to improve gradually, no matter their level.

LEARNING PARENTAL SKILLS

The memories you create together will instill in children a desire to foster that same loving atmosphere in their own future homes. Family is so important because, through your example, your kids learn important caregiving skills that they can use one day. They may even practice now by copying your behaviors when they interact with siblings.

Spending random time with family can make everyone learn good parenting skills regardless your position in the family. The more time spent, the more the skills will develop and parenting will be easier. Over time, the family will always have the healthy environment as everything is going smoothly.

If all families acted same way, this will help develop our societies and creating better societies for the future.

REDUCING STRESS

Those with strong family healthy relationships tend to seek out healthier coping mechanisms for stress—such as confiding in friends and family—instead of other unhealthy outlets. This establishes a habit of talking through problems together to relieve stress and find effective solutions.

Stress is critical to controlling our lives. Stress can be harmful in many ways, which depends on each body. When having a happy family environment, almost all of our stress will be relieved by sharing our concerns with our family members. At the same time, once we communicate our concerns and worries with our family members, we establish a discussion to share their experiences and pieces of advice to each other, resulting in reducing the stress levels of every member of the family.

Stress also significantly affects aspects of physical health, such as fatigue, blood pressure, and heart health. The Annals of Behavioral Medicine conducted a study that found when people discussed hardships in their lives with a friend beside them (instead of alone), they had lowered pulse and blood pressure readings.

ENHANCING PHYSICAL HEALTH

With the right kind of activities, spending time with family can positively impact physical well-being. For instance, families who eat home-cooked meals together tend to have a better diet than those who don’t. Participating in outdoor activities like sports games, hikes, or gardening together helps to improve fitness. There’s even evidence that time with family can boost the effects of exercise and other healthy habits. It improves heart, brain, hormonal, and immune health. Being with family can also encourage one another to maintain healthy lifestyles.

A healthy family can be a very positive effect on our lives. It can make us do better in our career, business, or any type of productivity.

LENGTHENS LIFE SPAN EXPECTANCY

Healthy relationships could increase your lifespan up to 50%. Combine all the physical and mental health benefits discussed above, and you can see why family time has been linked to living a longer, healthier, happier life. Even those with unhealthy physical habits, but a strong social network live longer than those without these relationships.

Interacting with family can significantly affect our life span in many ways. Nobody can object to our life spans, as sometimes we can’t control when it comes to accidents, sudden deadly sickness, or whatever it can be. However, since we are living, we need to always remember to be healthy and positive about our lives. Family is the most important part of our life, as, without our family, we couldn’t be on our planet Earth.

Family is where love never ends, and life never ends.

If you ever have an issue with your family, always remember that all issues have solutions. Contact me if you need any consultation in family matters, I would love to help you, as I know how family can literally change your life.

Contact Ryan

Visit my programs and courses and start building your happiness, around your family and business. Build your mindset to the right mindset full of happiness and wellness.