The Importance Of Spending Time With Family by Cindy Stradling CSL, CPC

As a professional, it is easy to fall into the belief that spending more time at work now will help you get to the place you want to be in your career at a faster pace. This is often the case with younger people entering into the workforce, those who are high-achievers, and people who are entrepreneurs or startup business owners.

While there is some truth to that idea, there is also a negative result of spending too much time focused on your career and not enough time with your family. Finding a way to create a sense of harmony between the time spent on your job and time with the family is a critical part of your overall health, wellness, and your sense of belonging.

Let’s take a look at several of the essential benefits of time spent with those you love:

• Increased resilience – having the ability to bounce back after challenges, disappointments, and difficulties in life is critical in both your professional and personal life. Spending time with people who care about you and support you helps to build resilience to weather these storms.
  

• Family ties – while sometimes family can be difficult, research shows that people who feel a sense of belonging with their immediate or extended family are more bonded and have a clear sense of who they are and how they interact with others. Bonding is positive and fills a basic need to feel part of a group and cared for in life.
  

• Better communication skills – talking in your personal life with those you love helps you to become more effective at talking to others at work. The family is also a safe place to practice different types of communication, including setting boundaries, giving feedback, and conflict resolution strategies.
  

• Increased mental health and wellness – people of any age, including kids and seniors, tend to have lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress when they spend time with their family or a group of caring individuals. Unconditional love and acceptance and ongoing support help reduce the risk of mental health issues, including burnout, over time.
  

• Giving and receiving – emotional support is not all about receiving. Staying involved with your parents, grandparents, kids, grandkids, and other family members helps you to both receive support and give support to others. Giving support is a positive experience that is beneficial on many different levels.

As a parent, spending time with your children, including attending school events, playing with the kids, and doing things that make lasting memories, offers immeasurable benefits. Many of these events are once-in-a-lifetime, and giving your children and yourself the gift of being there for them is simply priceless.