How to be a happy family

How to be a happy family

July 2023

How to be a  Happy Family

Archana Singhal shares insights on dealing with family stress 

“

Families are like fudge . . . mostly sweet with lots  of nuts.” 

In a family, we share everything together:  

from love to that last piece of dessert. We  share good times and also give each other  a shoulder to cry on during bad times. Our  

family celebrates our success and doesn’t let  us lose hope when we fail. But it doesn’t mean  that there are only happy times with family  

members. There will be times when we will  be at each other’s throats. There will be times  

when they are the last person you would  want to see. During vacations,  there will be times when  they will become too much  

to handle, or during family functions, that annoying aunty  will not stop asking you about  

your marriage plans or your  grades. 

Don’t take work related stress home for a happier life 

During bad grades, unexpected illnesses, finan cial issues, or arguments, things get tough, and  it starts affecting you mentally. Family can be a  stress-buster, but at the same time, the biggest  cause of stress. 

Here are a few ways for you to deal with stress  when it comes to family:  

•  Don’t take work stress home: Don’t inflict  your work-related stress on your kids and  partner. Yes, the work gets stressful, but  taking out your frustration on your family  is not a solution. You will be doing more  harm in the long run.  

•  Divide household chores: Tasks such as  sweeping, cooking, grocery shopping, and  washing dishes should be equally divided  amongst family members. If everyone con 

tributes in one way or another, no one will  16 LifePositive | JULY 2023

feel they are being left out or they have too  much pressure. 

•  Always have dinner with the family: “A  family that eats together stays together.”  Eating with the family will provide you  with more time to communicate with each  other. This will build your relationship im 

mensely as you will share more with them  and will find out more about each other. 

•  Have a ‘family time’: Try to spend week ends together by going out for a picnic or  just to the grocery store nearby. Perhaps  you can play board games, cook together, or  even just do some fun artsy stuff. You don’t  have to make elaborate plans like out-of station trips or visits to amusement parks.  Just having a small get-together will help in  keeping the communication channels open  and will allow you to bond. 

•  Communicate with your family: You spend  most of your life with your family. Nobody  knows them better than you. Therefore,  whenever you feel like they are acting dif 

ferently, they are hiding something from  you, or are just not being themselves, ask  them! Just asking them will make them re alise that you are there for them. You are  available to talk. 

If you are a parent, sometimes parenting be comes very stressful. Therefore, to manage  stress, here are a few stress management tech niques: 

•  Adjust your priorities and standards: If  you will start prioritising things and will  keep achievable standards you will be able  to manage things more easily and with less  stress. 

•  Don’t undertake unnecessary duties. 

•  Practice meditation and relaxation tech niques: Practice meditation, yoga, or do  

whatever helps you to relax. It will keep  your mind peaceful, and you will be able to  have a breather from daily life. 

•  Accept help: If you feel you are overworked  or you are not able to give time to yourself,  then accept help from someone if you can.  For instance, hire a babysitter. There is no  harm in asking for help. 

•  Take advice: Take advice from people you  trust. If you are not able to understand  things or are confused, ask someone who  you feel will help you. 

•  Take care of yourself: If you are not healthy  mentally and physically, then you can’t take  care of your kids. So, give time to yourself. 

•  Plan things ahead of time: It’s always good  to have a plan. It will prevent you from  last-minute hassles. 

•  Spend time with children: Take out time  for your children and talk to them about  school or if something is bothering them. 

During bad grades, unexpected illnesses, fi nancial issues, or arguments, things get tough,  and it starts affecting you mentally. Family can  

be a stress-buster, but at the same time, the  biggest cause of stress.

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Meditation and relaxation techniques help you maintain your cool 

Even for kids, growing up with a family gets  stressful. Therefore, for kids and teenagers,  here are a few stress management techniques: 

•  Do at least one physical exercise every  day: Engaging yourself physically gives  you less time to think about other things. 

•  Eat healthy food: Consume nutritious food  like protein and vegetables, and you will  feel less tired. 

•  Stick to a daily routine: This way, you will  be engaged all the time. 

•  Get enough sleep: Sleep well because sleep  deprivation tends to cause irritation and  tiredness. 

No matter what’s going on and who is troubling  you, communication is the key. So communi cate with your family members instead of cut ting them out of your life. There is always a way. 

If you feel like nothing is working and things  are going out of hand, then reach out to a fami ly counsellor. They will help you develop com munication skills and find solutions you are  unable to arrive at on your own. 

Counsellor and family therapist, Archana Singhal is the founder of Mindwell  Counsel, and a member of the Counsellors Council of India and WICCI, NPWC 

We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article.  

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