It is true that we live a rather busy life and that sometimes (quite often) we feel like we don’t have enough time for all the essential things. However, even though there is truth to it, there is one quintessential thing we mustn’t disregard, and we must always find time for it – our family’s health. Keep reading to learn more about practical tips on how to keep your family healthy.
First of all, you should keep in mind the importance of being physically active and being active together as a family. Also, you should eat a well-balanced diet and drink plenty of water. Moreover, you should aim to get enough quality sleep – you can do that by going to bed on time and having good sleep hygiene. What negatively affects us is spending too much time on our phones, so limit screen time, especially for the youngest members of your family. Additionally, you should find joy in small things and communicate with your family. Lastly, as stress is the leading cause of various diseases and health conditions, you should try to reduce it as much as possible.
Be active together
It is a fact that most of us spend our day sitting: sitting in the car, at school, at work, and at home. We don’t walk and aren’t active physically as much as we should. Being active has a lot of benefits for our physical and mental health. If you’re not too active, your kids probably won’t be either – kids copy everything they see their parents doing. So, you should be an example for your kids from an early age. It is difficult to change those habits later on.
For starters, organise one activity each week where you’ll be active together and have fun along the way. You can go walking, swimming, hiking or play football, basketball, and volleyball. You can also change your lifestyle a bit and walk or cycle instead of using the car. For instance, you can walk with your kids to their child care centre, you can use the stairs instead of an elevator, you can get off the transportation a few stops before your house and so on. Even though these are all little things, they do mean a lot.
Eat a well-balanced diet
Another essential component of your health is your diet – what we use to fuel our bodies is vital. Making sure the whole family eats a well-balanced diet can be challenging, and it requires some time to master it. What you should do is meal planning as it will save you plenty of time and thinking about the meals. Make a weekly meal plan, and don’t forget to count in the snacks as well. Being organised about the food will also help you optimise your shopping. There are various handy apps you can use as well. Additionally, consider online shopping as it will save you time and energy.
Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water goes hand in hand with eating well. You should force yourself to develop that habit if you don’t drink enough water. It’s key to keep our bodies hydrated, as that’s how they perform the best. It is especially important to monitor your kids and their water intake. You should instil that habit from an early age. If you’re having trouble drinking plenty of water yourself, you can also use an app that reminds you about it. Also, what works well is if you keep a bottle of water nearby as that way, you’ll remember by seeing it.
Get quality sleep
What’s more, getting quality sleep is another essential component of a healthy lifestyle. That means that you should get enough quality sleep. It involves creating good sleep hygiene, meaning that you should go to bed at an optimal hour, as we are able to recharge and repair all the damaged cells the best in a certain period of the night. Additionally, you should go to sleep at more or less the same time each night. Also, you should sleep on a comfortable bed in a dark and quiet room. Moreover, you should relax and soothe yourself before going to sleep.
Limit screen time
Another fact of the modern age is that we spend way too much time on our phones, just scrolling aimlessly. This can affect our psyche negatively, so you should be really cautious about your online time. When it comes to young children, it is particularly important to set limits with them. Besides that, you should also screen the content and approve apps they use or games they play. Spending time on the phone is not the only plausible way to have fun – you should show that to your kids with your own example.
Find joy in small things
Everybody should have something that brings them joy. You should always find time to do a hobby or something you love. It can be anything from taking a bubble bath, taking a brisk walk, reading a book or watching a favourite series. You should also teach your kids to do the same. When we have something we enjoy doing, we feel so much better and happier with ourselves.
Communicate
Communication within a family is crucial. It is perhaps overlooked nowadays as the focus is more on digital communication than real-life communication. You should really focus on talking with your kids. That is the only way they will learn to communicate in real life. Have family meetings once a week or have meals together in the evening and discuss what’s new with everyone.
Try to reduce stress as much as possible
It is very hard to avoid stress altogether. However, we can try to reduce it as much as possible. Stress is the cause of many health conditions. You should set things clear in your head and try not to allow it to take you over.
Keeping a family healthy is a real challenge nowadays – but once you get a grip on it, it’s really a piece of cake. Everyone should do their part, and it won’t be difficult.