Benefits Of Spending Quality Time With Family

Quality time is more than eating together at a quiet dinner table or driving the kids to school. It's about giving your full attention and building family bonds without interruption or distraction. And whether you're aware of it or not, all family members reap the benefits of spending valuable time together.



1. It encourages open communication
No matter the activity, designated time spent together as a family—without the distraction of work, phones or chores—creates a space for open dialogue. Perhaps your kids have been meaning to talk to you about something but sensed you were too caught up in other tasks to listen (hey, it happens). When everyone has a lot on their minds, it’s easy to forget to check in with family about how their day went. Recurring family time solves the problem by providing your unit with a consistent opportunity to communicate and be heard—an experience that promotes emotional connection. Priceless.

2. It builds self-esteem
Aside from strengthening emotional bonds, communication (as described above) also helps build self-esteem in young people who may otherwise lack the confidence to contribute to conversation. In other words, giving children the chance to share details about their lives and chime in with opinions on current events in a relaxed family setting will make them feel valued and improve their sense of self-worth in and outside the nuclear unit.
3. It demonstrates positive family and relationship dynamics
This means that whenever the whole fam gets together, there’s occasion to teach (and learn) by example. Both parents stand to gain quite a bit from seeing how the other interacts with the kids, while the youngest members will benefit from seeing healthy relationship dynamics modeled by the grown-ups. (So yeah, maybe don’t choose family time to bicker with your significant other about who washes the most dishes.)

4. It reinforces family rules
Family rules play a huge role in ensuring a household runs like a well-oiled machine—and what better opportunity to get everyone on the same page than when the whole gang is in the same place, at the same time. Whether you want to convey the importance of listening to others without interruption or emphasize that everyone needs to chip in when it comes time to clean-up, designated time together will help get the message across.
5. It helps meet emotional needs
You might spend a ton of time around your family, but when that time coincides with other competing demands (like work, cleaning, running errands, etc.), it isn’t conducive to the kind of undivided attention and purposeful affection that helps relationships thrive. By setting aside time to spend with family at the exclusion of other things, you can truly focus on the emotional needs of your family members, while having yours as well.

As human beings, we all need social connections in our lives to thrive and be happy. Spending time with friends is one of the best ways to foster these connections, and it brings many benefits to our lives. In this article, we’ll explore the many benefits of spending time with friends and why it’s important to prioritize these relationships in our lives.

Social support
One of the most significant benefits of spending time with friends is the social support that it provides. Our friends are often the first people we turn to in times of need, and having a strong network of friends can help us navigate life’s challenges. Whether we’re dealing with a personal crisis, struggling with mental health issues, or simply feeling overwhelmed by day-to-day stress, having supportive friends can make all the difference.

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“You might not want to schedule everything, but it can help when you have a busy life,” Shrout said. “If you have children, if you have a job, if you’re taking care of family members, we have so many things happening on a day-to-day basis that sometimes we have to schedule things we love with the people we love to fit it in.
“It’s also important to be kind to yourself and your loved ones if resolutions fall short. Be there for each other and support each other, especially if you need help getting back on track or adjusting your goals.”
The resolution to spend more time with loved ones can even be accomplished in smaller ways, Shrout advises, such as through regularly calling loved ones during the commute to and from work or class, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Asking for loved ones’ support with other resolutions can help individuals achieve their resolution of spending more time with family and friends.
“Some go-to resolutions are that people want to exercise more or eat healthier,” Shrout said. “Involve another person. Do it with someone else, whether it’s your partner or a good friend or a colleague. Having someone to support you helps you achieve those goals.”