Your family being happy and healthy is top of most parents’ wish list, but sometimes it can seem like an uphill struggle.
Picking up germs, dealing with the stresses of modern life, and being too busy for simple pleasures all take their toll on physical and mental health, and before you know it, you’re living in a home where someone is often feeling sick, experiencing emotional difficulties or suffers burnout.
It doesn’t have to be this way, though. There are a few simple steps to take which will give everyone in your home a boost and protect them and you against common health issues.
Good Diet
Providing healthy meals can often be a huge point of conflict in many homes as everyone has different ideas about what they will and won’t eat. Add that to the fact junk food is so much more easily accessible nowadays, and you have a recipe for disaster.
But what you eat has such a huge impact on both mental and physical health, and getting everyone eating well is not something you can shy away from.
It is important to introduce as many flavors as possible in the early years, so if you have small children, don’t be afraid to provide a wide range of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices to get them used to good home cooked food from the very start.
If you are past that stage, a great trick is to “hide” vegetables, so they don’t even know they are eating them. The three easiest options for packing in some secret nutrition is in sauces, soups, and smoothies. Include cooked vegetables in pasta and pizza sauces and blend, soups can disguise a huge range of vegetables in the mix, and try throwing in some kale or spinach into smoothies for a powerful nutrient hit.
Plenty of exercise
There are lots of options you can choose from when it comes to getting your family active, but the key is to find something you enjoy doing as you just won’t stick to something that is not a pleasure to do.
Forget running on the treadmill, and think outside of the box when considering how to get moving.
Swimming and cycling are great low-impact exercises that work the whole body – by turning a visit to the pool or a bike ride into a fun family day out it won’t even feel like exercise.
Heading out for a day on the water, for example, can provide the opportunity for all kinds of water sports or beach games to get you moving.
One of the best cardiovascular exercises is dancing. A boogie to some of your favorite tunes wearing your practice ballroom skirts can really increase the heart rate and is super fun when done with other family members. Why not get everyone to contribute to a family workout playlist you can put on when you want to get active?
Other options include yoga or Pilates, which can be a deeply relaxing way to wind down after a long day, so this is a great option for family members feeling stressed out.
Good rest
Also essential for optimum health is getting the recommended amount of sleep.
First of all, try to practice what you preach and get to bed at a good time yourself. Set a regular bedtime and if you have difficulty drifting off, read for a while.
Next, encourage the younger family members to do the same. Ideally, you should also remove things like TVs and game consoles from bedrooms, so there are no distractions.
There are lots of natural methods to promote a good night’s sleep, such as taking a relaxing soak in the tub before bedtime, using a diffuser in the bedroom, choosing calming scents such as lavender, playing soothing sounds from nature quietly in the background, and practicing meditation to quiet the mind before lights out.
If you are the type of person whose worries all descend upon you as you close your eyes, keep a pen and paper by the bedside and make a note of anything troubling you, then promise yourself to address it all in the morning after a good rest. Very often, these huge worries when you are tired become insignificant by morning, and any problems that do need dealing with can be solved more easily with a well-rested brain.
Expert medical advice
If you have medical concerns relating to yourself or another family member, it’s important to seek professional advice sooner rather than later.
Who you turn to will, of course, depend on the problem. For minor issues, you might just head for the pharmacy – and don’t worry, there’s not a lot they won’t have already heard so don’t avoid going because you feel embarrassed.
Seeing your family doctor or nurse, who are experts in family health, might be appropriate for more serious issues. Family nurse practitioners, for example, will go through specialist Doctor of Nursing Practice courses known as dnp fnp programs like those provided by Baylor University before qualifying for this role.
Take time to talk
Modern family life is often so busy that there is little time left for everyone to talk.
Connecting as often as possible, talking about what you have been up to, how you are all feeling and what is bringing you happiness or stress right now, along with the things you are looking forward to, are important ways to keep family bonds tight and to help protect everyone’s mental wellbeing.
Regular conversation helps to prevent a build-up of emotions, which might otherwise only reveal themselves when they are at a crisis point.
Sitting down for an evening meal together is the ideal time to talk, but connecting individually at bedtime can be equally rewarding if that’s really not possible.
These tips may seem elementary, but it is often the simple things that are the most effective, while also being the things that frequently get forgotten about.
If your family is feeling a little run-down or has been suffering from frequent health issues, try going back to basics and implementing these things into your daily routines, then look at the huge positive impact they have.
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