You must look out for your family’s mental and physical wellbeing. You cannot do much with them or enjoy them as much as you want if they are not physically alright or mentally disturbed. The physical and the mental aspects of our lives are key areas that are interwoven and crucial to all-round fulfilment. Below are ways you can improve these aspects.
Eat and drink healthy
You cannot demand from your body what you do not provide it with. You are what you eat. Make it a habit of eating foods dense with nutrients and are minimally processed. Go for fresh, organic and wholesome foods, not infested or chemical-enriched foods. Include more fruits, vegetables and sparkling water in your diet too. Cut down on unhealthy drinks such as alcohol and soda drinks if you cannot stay off totally. If you eat out frequently as a family, you may want to reduce the rate of doing that. Cook more meals at home; you can try out new dishes too. That way, you are sure of what is going into your stomach. If you have not been eating healthy, do not beat yourself up when you fail as you are starting. With time, you will get used to it.
Get enough rest and proper exercise
For you to perform at your highest level of competence, you need to get enough sleep. There is no point in overworking yourself till you fall sick. The body needs to repair itself, refresh its energy and release the pressure you have placed on it; it only does this through sleep. Remember that you cannot cheat nature; you should slow down willingly than when your body forces you to do so. Besides, you need to work out as well. Exercise helps to improve blood circulation in your body, thereby reducing chances of stroke and other related issues. It also helps to strengthen your bones and build your body mass. If you have issues of obesity, getting easily fatigued, having pains all over your body, etc, exercise helps to deal with them. Working out together as a family not only keeps you healthy but also improves the mental bond between you.
Get companionship
As social animals, we all crave for companionship as much as possible. We always want to be in the midst of people from family, friends, acquaintances and people of like passion. However, even when we are married and have our own families, it can be difficult having people around us every time we want to. This is considering that every individual is working towards progressing their lives and career. Hence, your kids can travel to school and your spouse might have gone on a business trip. You might end up finding yourself alone and lonely. This could have negative effect on our physical and mental health. Fortunately, there are social animals that we can get that do not have careers to progress and other engagement. Adopting a pet can go alone to help you with always having companionship as well as fighting loneliness and the resulting mental effects. Even when people are around you, you could still have pets that will always adore you and would boost family time together and mental health.
Provide a conducive environment for your family
Asides from a healthy diet, good sleep and constant exercise, the environment in which you and your family also matter a lot. For instance, a family of five or more people cannot be comfortable living in a small-sized apartment. You each will need some physical space for personal stuff. Also living in a dirty or a mosquito-infested environment will not aid your physical health. You must make sure your environment is capable of supporting the healthy life you seek. Also, the environment must not be toxic for any of you. Make your home a haven of peace, love and protection for your spouse and children. It is wrong to oppress any of your family members or crackdown on them unnecessarily. Correct in love, not in despise. Let no one among you be afraid to come home to other members of the family.
Do things together
As much as you can, gather the whole family to do things collectively. For instance, you can go on vacations or hiking trips together. You can read in each other’s hearing at bedtime; you can tell stories. At the dining table, eat together and encourage each person to share how their day went. Support each other both privately and publicly. For instance, if one of you is playing in the school’s basketball team, the rest of the family should go to the field to cheer them on. You can also learn something new together such as a language, cooking methods, different recipes, sewing, knitting, etc. times spent together are bonding opportunities that each of you will cherish when you are not together anymore.
Seek help for anyone who needs it
If you notice that anyone in your family is going through a tough time mentally and it is beyond what you can handle as a family, seek help from experts. Do not forsake such a person or be stingy with resources that can be spent on their health to make them better. You have to accept that some people are different and they need the help of professionals to be mentally balanced. Show love to them and let them know you are always there for them. The same goes for issues regarding physical health. If anyone has a health condition, help them manage it as a family. By doing this, each person in your family will not only be healthy but also be each other’s keeper.
