There was a time when if you weren’t at work, you were having family time. These days, with the lures of social media, constant streaming, and the whole world at your fingertips, families are spending far less quality time together than ever before. If that sounds familiar, maybe you should have a rethink about how you spend your free time because family time undoubtedly has many benefits.
Better mental health
Spending time with family is great for mental health, especially if you do it in person. Depression and anxiety are less common in people who spend a lot of time around loved ones who are emotionally supportive through trials and tribulations, often with children and older people benefitting the most.
Improve resilience
When you know you have a strong family unit to fall back on, you are more likely to feel safe and secure in yourself, which means you will take more risks and feel less upset when things don’t turn out as planned, because you know you will be loved no matter what.
Spot warning signs early
This dedicated team of nursing home abuse attorneys will tell you that many of their clients have suffered for way too long because there was no one around to spot the signs, and many teens will tell you that they have been struggling with issues long before their parents become aware. This is more than likely because we spend so little quality time together these days that it is so easy to miss those signs that something is up. By spending more time with your loved ones, you can spot the warning signs and get them help, whatever that may be, when they need it most.
Improve academic performance
If you have school-aged children in your family, you may be interested to know that children who spend a lot of time with family tend to perform better at school. This is most likely because they feel more supported, to some extent, but also because the more time they spend around family the more time they will be exposed to new ideas. And the more their communication skills will be challenged. They are also less likely to act out due to a lack of attention.
When you know you have a strong family unit to fall back on, you are more likely to feel safe and secure in yourself, which means you will take more risks and feel less upset when things don’t turn out as planned, because you know you will be loved no matter what.
Live longer
Yes, spending quality time with your family really could help you to live longer. Various studies have shown that forming healthy relationships can extend your life expectancy, by as much as 50 percent in some cases. This may seem like a shocking figure, but when you think about how many elderly people’s quality of life declines because they are lonely, which leads to isolation and depression, it is perhaps not surprising after all.
As you can see, spending more time together as a family will benefit you immensely. That doesn’t mean that you can never go off and do your own thing or that you need to be constantly joined at the hip, but if you can carve out a little time each day to have fun together, your lives will be all the better for it!
Thank you for reading!
