Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Your Family

Eating a Meal as a Family

One of the feelings that may set in very quickly in a family is that of isolation. This is more likely to happen to members of families where both parents are working.  The parents are usually unavailable for lunch and get home too late for sharing dinner with the children. Over a period of time the entire family begins to eat their meals in isolated pockets of time. This is definitely not good for the family unit as a whole and each individual’s health within it.

Get Involved with Activities as a Family

When no one else is there for you, your family always will be. Why not take the time and make the effort to make friends with members of your family. This will only strengthen the bond you have and help you stay emotionally healthy. Pick indoor board games on summer days, or take off for a picnic or hike outdoors if the weather is good. Please don’t go to a mall and watch a movie! That involves absolutely no interaction between the family members and is a brain dead activity.

Remove the Overwhelming Presence of Technology

There are all kind of screens in our lives today from the unobstrusive television screen, to the tablet your ten year old is playing games on, the smartphone you check your notifications on, to the computer that is calling your name- there is too much technology overwhelming us each day.  To stay healthy cut back on the presence of screens which ping with notification alerts and other distracting sounds. It really is terrible for your stress levels. Make sure that you take a break from technology and reconnect with nature by going completely off the grid for a holiday.

Acknowledge and Appreciate

When a family member makes an effort to plan a family outing, activity or even a sit down meal together, make sure you let them know how much you appreciate it. There is no greater boost to the motivation to keep doing healthy activities together than when you are sure that your family will acknowledge and appreciate your efforts. Hearing you speak positively about something your spouse has planned will make the children appreciate it even more, and from then on they will also express their appreciation.

Good Company Does Make a Difference

Birds of a feather flock together, and often your friends will reflect the kind of lifestyle you lead. If you are not sure about how healthy your own family lifestyle is, take a closer look at how your friends handle family time. It will be easier for you to see where they are going wrong and then see how it applies to your family life. Remember you can always choose to make a new lifestyle that is healthier. You will find friends who enjoy the healthier activities as well.

Lead By Example

Remember children do as they see. This means that even if you sprout the virtues of healthy living, until you actually put actions behind your words, it will change nothing. The minute they see you eating fruit, exercising regularly and taking a break from technology, they will accept the healthier lifestyle much more easily. As with all things, it’s a matter of making it a habit.