5 secrets to a stress-free, happy, healthy family
CREATING a happy and connected family in the modern world can sometimes feel like an impossible task. Everyone is working tirelessly to make ends meet, technology seems to control our everyday life, and stress has become prevalent among both adults and children. Fortunately, there are secrets you can put into practice to create a stress-free, happy, healthy family.
1. Eat, play, show love, and build a strong connection with your family
Add some aspect of fun to your family meals. Eating together has tons of benefits, including enhancing achievement, reducing the risks of eating disorders, and reducing depression rates in children. But that shouldn’t be a reason for introducing lots of formalities to your meals. Instead, introduce simple rituals that can create unforgettable happy memories in your children. For instance, you can watch weekend-morning cartoons together as you’re having breakfast.
Stay home and engage in fun activities as a family. It could be playing with dolls, cooking together, or taking a walk around the neighbourhood. It could also be watching movies or reading a book.
Show your children and your partner that you love them. You can do this by hugging and telling them you love them daily. Treat them with respect and affection. Also, express your love creatively and thoughtfully by gifting each of your family members a quote necklace. Make sure to make it special — the quote on their necklaces have to be heartwarming notes that remind them how much they matter.
2. Reinvigorate interest in your marriage
Love at the start of a marriage is always passionate and it’s full of thrill, freshness, and mystery. This passionate love tends to decline once you get to know your partner, their likes, dislikes, motives, and more. But there are steps you can take to restore interest in your marriage and maintain it. One great way to do that is by participating in new activities with your partner.
Another option is by doing something that increases your interest in each other. These range from working out to taking a vigorous hike, to scuba-diving. You can even watch a scary movie together.
3. Take a vacation and celebrate your history
A vacation gives your family the much-needed break from the normal way of doing things. Visiting a new place raises dopamine (the happy hormone) in the brain, which is instrumental in bringing everyone in the family closer together. A family vacation doesn’t have to be far from home or expensive. The goal is to spend quality time as a family away from home.
On top of taking a vacation, make sure your kids know the history of your family. That way, they will develop a sense of belonging and will feel more grounded. Let them talk to their grandparents regularly or even visit them, if possible. You can also check old photo albums together and narrate to them the most notable family adventures and memories.
4. Practice financial transparency
Financial transparency is one of the pillars of a happy, healthy family. Hiding financial matters from your partner usually causes distrust and conflict, which can compromise the stability of your family. So ensure you embrace financial transparency practices to build trust and promote peace in your family.
Set a financial goal: Buying a house, starting a business, or paying off a loan. Next, determine your cumulative debts, loans, and expenditures, and then have an honest conversation on how you can reduce this figure. Also, talk about overall spending habits and strategies for saving in order to accomplish the financial goal.
5. Create traditions and hold meetings regularly
Family traditions can instill a sense of unity in your family. Don’t reserve family traditions for special occasions or holidays only. Instead, develop and observe family traditions weekly or even on a daily basis. For instance, you can reserve Saturday nights for family games where you can play your favourite indoor games. Alternatively, you can come up with a bedtime tradition where you read a bedtime book together.
In addition to traditions, family meetings can also help keep your family happy and connected. Hold a meeting at least once a month. Talk about what’s running smoothly and what needs to be addressed. Family meetings can be a perfect tool for equipping your children with problem-solving skills.
The parting shot
Family is about building deep connections and offering a sense of meaning and togetherness. A healthy family connected through emotional intelligence can be a great source of true love and a perfect tool to help us navigate life’s challenges. But building a stress-free, happy, and healthy family requires work, patience, and determination.
Rina Berisha has over seven years expertise as a family therapist. The mother of a three-year-old, she was born and raised in Seattle. She is currently in the middle of getting a master’s degree in counselling.
