There’s more to health than the physical nature of our bodies. Of course, consistent physical movement is important to maintaining and regulating health, but that’s not all there is. Your health and the health of your family come from more than getting out for your post-dinner walks. Mental health, emotional intelligence, relational well-being—all these things play a role in overall health. Make sure to add some different well-being strategies into the daily routine with these tips for raising a healthy family. Check them out!
Delve Into Activities That Reinforce Healthy Choices
This is a broad category for a purposeful reason. There are tons of activities out there that reinforce healthy choices and lifestyle habits to meet any person’s abilities. If your family is full of younger children, then you probably wouldn’t head out to a soup kitchen to grow their generosity. Instead, you’d stick with donating to reinforce their philanthropic muscle.
The activities we partake in typically have an underlying health component or trait-building component. For example, donating comes with a variety of health benefits, but that’s not typically what most people think of. The health benefits and the trait-building that comes from donating are underlying themes that make a big, long-lasting impact. Do your best to participate in these sorts of activities as a family!
Explain the Why
In a similar sense, work on building habits with your kids by explaining the why. This means doing more than putting a vegetable on their plate each dinner. If they don’t understand why veggies are important, then the vital health habit won’t stick with them. With most things, your children will want to know the why—and doing so will help them build habits. Take the time to educate them on the why of the healthy choices you’re making!
Talk About Tough Emotions
Emotional intelligence is a massive aspect of the general health of a human being. If emotions are all over the place, then it’s going to be hard to get a grip on mental health, which could then affect physical health. As a family, talk about tough emotions when they arise. When someone’s crying, don’t try to push it aside; instead, get to the core emotion and figure out why those tears are coming. Ignoring tough emotions is disastrous for emotional and mental well-being.
Eat Meals Together
Healthy eating, as most people know, is an essential aspect of a family’s health. But sometimes it can get hard to stick to those healthy meals if everyone eats around the TV or eats at different times. Try your best to stick to family dinners where everyone eats together and eats a healthy, well-rounded meal!
Encourage Nightly Meditation
Sleep is a significant part of the health of your family. But if the nighttime routine is to switch from the TV to the phone to the pillow, then sleep won’t come quickly. Get into the habit of meditating nightly—calm your mental space and put your body in a relaxed position so that sleep comes quickly. You can even do this with the kiddos—just use a guided meditation app to get started!
