Take a deep breath and consider the long term before being overwhelmed by advertisements for a temporary fix or a new fad. Good health for the entire family is achieved in little steps. They are straightforward, if not always easy, and help you and your children grow resilient.
In many ways, we are still in the year 2020. After all, many aspects of our lives have been affected or have come to a halt. However, the world has not stopped spinning, and we know that the impact of COVID-19 is constantly changing. This reality is causing parents worldwide to wonder, “How will the pandemic’s long-term impacts affect my family?” And more significantly, what can I do to ensure we remain happy despite being in the strange territory?
We may not have a clear idea to give a rosy image of the future, but here are some simple steps parents can take to ensure a happier 2022 for their families, regardless of the uncertainty. Allow these tips to be your guide for better family health. Are you ready to start?
1. Begin with your plate.
“From a family standpoint, we try to emphasize the default eating style – we don’t even like the word ‘diet’ – the default eating style being a healthier one in which we make good choices.” We eat plant-based at home.”
Motley advocates a whole-food, plant-based diet but does not emphasize what to avoid.
“Let’s attempt to add as much nutritious stuff as possible to crowd out the less healthy items,” she suggested. “Provide healthy options, and if you’re going to a holiday party, extend more grace to yourself and your family.”
2. Keep moving.
It might be challenging to get everyone outside, especially at this time of year. Motley maintains a continual list of playgrounds, parks, and even indoor play facilities for her family to try so that they never run out of ideas. She advocates enrolling youngsters in swim instruction as a multi-benefit exercise. Low-cost or no-cost programs are frequently accessible all year.
3. Manage your stress.
It may be easier said than done, but figure out what helps you healthily manage stress. For Motley, this means frequently inviting the grandparents around to assist and entertain her children. “It’s always preferable to have a higher adult-to-child ratio,” she remarked. She also stated that merely getting outside can help reduce everyone’s stress.
Are there no grandparents nearby? Check with a friend to see if you can swap breaks. To recover control, try an online meditation program or a breath bubble. If stress gets unbearable, always seek help.
4. Create connections.
Social support is essential to living a healthy life, another pillar of lifestyle medicine. Even when there isn’t a pandemic, it isn’t easy to build community, so make it a goal to interact with friends, neighbors, or a religious or social gathering.
Put away your phones, iPads, and tablets, dust off your board games, and find ways to spend meaningful time together as a family purposefully. Perhaps this means spending the majority of your time with yourself and your families, such as having dinner together and pulling pranks Ownage Pranks like the hot pepper prank to spice up events and connections.
5. Sleep.
Everyone, regardless of age, requires a good night’s sleep to function well. “Giving a child a tight sleep routine is incredibly liberating,” Motley added. “You may think of it as limiting, but your kids’ body clock responds to the schedule you set,” she said, adding that having a consistent time to sleep and wake up can help lessen the stress level of the entire family.
6. Give back to Your Community.
Giving to others has been proved in studies to improve a person’s physical and mental health. Not to mention that there has never been a better time to provide a helping hand, as the needs of people around us are many. For example, volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate resources to local schools, buy flowers for a nursing home, or leave handmade cookies on your neighbor’s doorstep.
7. Prioritize your mental health.
Stressors of all types have grown since the pandemic began, and individuals are less inclined to be outdoors and active during the winter months. Some people also have the seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is past time to remove the stigma associated with mental health care. According to Motley, almost everyone might benefit from seeing a counselor, and any primary care provider can make a referral.
“It’s essentially a third party to help you manage your life and aspirations,” she said.
8. Catch up with health screenings.
Many people put off routine good checks and health screenings to avoid COVID. Motley has seen some problems worsen as a result of the delayed attention. Schedule now, especially since appointment wait times may be longer than usual. Inquire about upcoming blood tests, in-office screens, mammograms, and other procedures with your health care provider.
“This is an excellent opportunity to get things done,” Motley said. “Make the appointment even if you don’t feel comfortable now.”
9. Empower your Kids to use their voices.
Even in the most ordinary of circumstances, children are subject to adults’ judgments. The world has changed dramatically, and children now have even less control over their daily lives than they did previously.
According to Zimmerman, the scale of this tension could result in an “increase in anxiety, despair, substance addiction, and overall stress on medical and physical well-being.” In other words, we can’t afford to let our children’s legitimate feelings be hampered.
If we want a happy family unit in 2022, we must teach our children that their voices, thoughts, and emotions are just as important as ours. We may be powerless in the face of the pandemic, but we can control how we respond to it and feel that the path to overall happiness begins at home.
10. Set the stage for a healthy future.
Weight is a complicated issue to broach, but according to Motley, childhood obesity is rising.
“As parents, we sometimes don’t see that our children are overweight because they appear like other children,” Motley explained. “If children are overweight, they are far more likely to be overweight as adults and to have a chronic disease.” We think of our children as invincible, but now is the moment to establish healthy behaviors. Those habits will follow you throughout adulthood. We’re bringing up adults. We’re not parenting kids.”
Importance of Better Family Health
We pass down our habits.
Children observe what the older generation does, and others are likely to follow when one family member exhibits appropriate physical health. To better assist the next generation, we must first care for ourselves.
It isn’t that difficult.
Changing your typical routine may seem difficult at first, but by making tiny changes, you may reroute your path and begin a healthier lifestyle. There are numerous advantages, such as increased vitality and a longer life expectancy.
Stop the epidemic.
According to the facts, we have several harmful practices that can lead to significant health problems. Some of these dangers might be silent killers, so it’s best to be safe than sorry. However, you can avoid potential health problems by becoming more health-conscious.
