Many factors in the world affect the health of the individual. One of the biggest factors on that health is the company a person keeps, or more importantly, family. Several people have studied the effects that spending time with family can have on a person’s well-being. There are many positives that have come from these studies, both in terms of the physical and emotional well-being of a person.
Indiana University posted information on the benefits of spending time with your family, and the most important aspect they focused on was lowering stress. The negatives of stress are numerous: higher mortality rates, increases irritability, energy depletion, memory issues, early dementia, heart attacks, stroke, hormonal issues and much more. However, participating in activities with your family can help reduce simple ways of stress. Simple activities such as hiking or throwing around a ball can help a person think about other things and not focus on those stresses.
Many studies have shown that the people who can benefit the most from spending time with family are children, as this will help them develop and grow. Kids receive guidance from their parents and other family members on different tasks that they can use in terms of school. It also helps them develop a sense of belonging which can increase their ability to reach out to people at school. With the kids’ growth and development, an added benefit will occur for parents. Studies have shown less discipline problems with children who spend more time with family.
One of the simplest benefits to all people who spend more time with family is that they will have a longer life. A review of 48 different studies that involved over 300,000 people revealed one consistency; People who had stronger social relationships had a higher percentage of living longer. The easiest social relationship to have is with family, meaning that spending time will increase the length of health. The Mental Health Foundation of Great Britain stated that having strong family relationships has the same added benefit on health that not smoking does.
There are other added health benefits of being with family more often. A healthier lifestyle is one of the biggest. For one, having a sit-down dinner with a family is generally healthier than eating fast food on your own. The food is generally healthier, but people will also talk about what you eat. If someone is eating unhealthy foods, family members may talk about it. The lifestyle will also become healthier because of what people do when spending time together. As mentioned earlier, hikes, walking, cycling and throwing a ball around are two simple ways to spend time together. These are activities that can help with cardiovascular health, mental health, and physical health. Generally, most people will be physically healthier if they spend more time together, and especially if that time is spent outdoors.
Finally, spending time with family can help people get away from technology. Whether walking the dog, swimming, bike riding or simply eating together, or just talking about the events of the day, people will be forced to walk away from technology for a period of time. This will help force everyone to think and develop personal skills, as well as increase the bond between one another.
Clearly, spending time with family will help you live a longer, healthier life. Now the important thing is to continue the tradition.
