Families often struggle to develop a consistent wellness routine in the midst of busy schedules filled with school activities, business conferences, and ballgames. It is important to remember that improving your family's overall health and wellness does not have to be an enormous undertaking. Here are a few small steps your family can take toward better health and better living this week!
1. Cook a meal together.
Forego the take-out and spend at least one night a week in the kitchen as a family. Spend some time looking through cookbooks, old family recipes, or Pinterest boards to find a few menu items that the whole family will enjoy. Then, divvy up the cooking steps so that each member of the family can play a role in making dinner. If you have kids, this is a great way to teach them healthy habits and involve them in the preparation of delicious and nutritious dinners.
2. Turn off the electronics and go outside.
Most of us are guilty of falling into the routine of getting home, kicking our shoes off, and landing on the couch for endless hours of screen time. Schedule at least one night per week that is designated as "no TV night" and take your family outside for some outdoor activities. Read about our ideas for summer family fun here.
3. Establish a "no phones at the table" rule.
While technology is an incredible tool for staying connected with friends, our dependence on cell phones and social media has gotten in the way of quality face-to-face communication. Restore quality time with your family and challenge them to a "no phones at the dinner table" rule. Designate a place for all cell phones to be stored while your family is eating dinner together (i.e. basket, cabinet, drawer, etc.) and create incentives for following the rule.
4. Get enough sleep.
Set a strict bedtime for your entire family--you too, mom and dad! There is a significant amount of research that connects wellness with getting an adequate amount of sleep every night. Strive to reach 8 hours of sleep per night, even if this means shutting off the TV an hour or two earlier than normal.
5. Volunteer together.
Giving back to others is an excellent way to promote spiritual and emotional wellness. Teach your children the importance of gratitude, selflessness, and community by designating at least one day each month to devote to helping others. This can be something as simple as picking up the trash at a local park or making a trip to Goodwill to donate lightly used items your family no longer needs or wants.
6. Organize and de-stress.
Stress has proven to be a major inhibitor of health and wellness. It is easy for families to become stressed when they are constantly on the go with activities; however, taking a few minutes at the beginning of the week to get organized can significantly reduce stress levels for the whole family. Create a family calendar with each individual's weekly activities. Set out your outfits for the week to take the guess work out of your mornings. Use Sunday night to pack snack bags and lunch boxes for the week. All of these small actions can have big benefits as the week goes on!
7. Make time for reflection and communication.
Mental, spiritual, and emotional wellness are equally important to physical wellness. Enhance the quality of your family's psychological wellness by making time each month to reflect on your lives and goals. Schedule a family meeting to discuss the positive happenings in your lives as well as the areas that are challenging. Being in touch with one another's goals, progress, and struggles is an excellent way to enhance your family's relationships and maintain constant support and respect for one another.
8. Join a family health and wellness center.
Many locations across the country, such as the Oklahoma Health and Wellness Center, provide wellness services that the entire family can benefit from. For example, our facility provides fitness and nutrition programs as well as chiropractic care and holistic medical treatments for people of all ages. Visit your local health and wellness center to see if they offer family discounts or membership packages!
Have some family wellness tips of your own? Let us know by commenting below!
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