24 Feb Happiness at home – 4 tips for a happier family
We all have multiple domains within our lives – we have our working or professional lives, our spiritual, health and wellbeing, social and (among other things) our family lives.
All of these are important for our happiness and with the weekend just around the corner, when many of us spend more time with our family and loves ones, I thought this simple and practical article might be of interest to you…
4 tips for having a happier family – by Joe Wilner for PsychCentral
I was fortunate to have a healthy and positive upbringing. By this I mean I was shown love, given support, and had my needs taken care of.
My family was by no means perfect. We had our ups and downs, though overall I have many more positive than negative memories.
From my immediate to extended family I was shown unconditional love and given support through my many mistakes.
We shared fun and enjoyable experiences together, such as family vacations and celebrations, and I had the freedom to develop into the person I wanted to be without judgment.
As I explore the potential of having my own family someday I am reminded of all the valuable lessons I learned, and how I can take these and be a positive role-model for the next generation to come.
Even if you didn’t have the sunniest childhood, there are many things that can be learned and applied to your current relationships to break any unhealthy cycles and make them more positive.
Below are four broad areas that can help make a happier family. These are a mixture of what I have learned from my family relationships in all forms and fashions, as well as from literature on the topic.
Clear family values and expectations
A family that knows where they’re going and has clear reasons for the decisions they are making will be happier and more capable of dealing with life transitions. I believe it’s important for the family to be viewed as a whole system with everyone on the same page.
This can come from having a family vision, mission, and values statement, which gives direction and guidance for small and large decisions in life. This requires that a family has open channels of communication and a more democratic style of decision making.
Family network and support system
Having supportive relationships is crucial to our happiness. There is great value in having extended family and friends as part of the bigger dynamic. Whether it is in-laws, step family, or extended family, recognize that these can all be relationships full of support and encouragement.
If you don’t have immediate or extended family to grow a deep and meaningful relationship with, make your own support system through volunteer work, religious communities, or other clubs and organizations. Simply put, have a network that you and your family can connect with for fun and support…
…for more tips on happiness at home and how to create a happier family – just CLICK HERE
And I'd love for you to share your thoughts on how to have a happy family life HERE on The Happiness Institute's Facebook Page