How to Bring Balance into your Family Life

How to Bring Balance into your Family Life

Whilst we all strive to have a balanced family life, the stresses and strains of modern living mean we don’t always have the time to propagate the family life we strive for.

Similarly, on a personal level, we often crave much more happiness within our own life, yet we are so busy taking care of everyone else, that we sometimes neglect our own sense of personal fulfilment.

If you’re feeling tired and depleted, then chances are you’re not able to be the engaged and charistmastic parent you want to be… Indeed, you might end up being quite grumpy and snappy as a result of feeling worn out; for this reason, it’s important you look after yourself first – in order to look after your family to your optimum ability.

This article takes a look at a number of things you can do to bring more balance and harmony into your home life, thus creating a much happier and more fulfilling home.

• Home

At the base of this, is your home itself.  Now, the feeling of “home” is ultimately something one must generate, that said, it’s much easier to create a feeling of home in a secure, warm and modern property, such as those offered by Prospect Homes, but even if you do buy a really nice house, that feeling of “home” is ultimately an emotion that will need to be created over time.

It would be great if you could purchase it as an add-on when buying a new build, yet it isn’t as simple as that. Home is a feeling of warmth, safety and comfort. It’s a sense of being settled, at peace, and cosy.

Whilst there are a number of things you can do on the outside to make your house more cosy and homely, this really is an inside job, and it mostly comes down to psychological associations.

For instance, some people might associate home with the smell of damp dog, which of course, will not appeal to everyone – but if you associate home with being greeted by a dog each day, then the smell of your dog within your home, is what will make it feel more homely for you.

Of course, your home doesn’t need to be a really expensive new build in the most wonderful area of the country, in fact it can be quite modest, for as long as you feel this home is a “safe place” which grounds you and offers a sense of warmth, comfort and stability – that’s the most important aspect of having a home.

• Finance

In reality, to have a balanced family life, and feel more harmonious, you don’t need to have heaps of money – you just need to be on top of your financial situation, so that it feels like you are swimming rather than sinking.

Financial stress is one of the leading causes of arguments within relationships, so it’s important to keep on top of them. Many people, when faced with financial challenges tend to bury their head in the sand, preferring to avoid tackling them, but this become a slippery slope that snowballs out of control.

Therefore, the key aspect about finance, is a sense of certainty and stability. You can be upto your eyeballs in debt, yet as long as you are on top of the situation, and have a plan in place that is being followed, you can feel more balanced.

Having a reliable income is clearly important, but again, you don’t have to be a millionaire in order to bring balance into your family life – you just need to be able to consistently make ends meet.

• Travel

We’ve talked about the importance of home as a stabilising sense of security and certainty, yet on the other side of the equation it’s important to have an element of variety and adventure in your life too.

Travelling with your family is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences you can have, and whilst it can be quite expensive, there are ways of travelling on a budget that mean travel is accessible to most people. For instance, you can take a family camping trip at very little expense, particularly if you fancy a bit of wild camping where you don’t have to pay the somewhat expensive pitching fees associated with many campsites in the UK.

The basic point, when it comes to travel, is that it provides a rich tapestry of experiences that enliven all the senses and tap into a sense of wonderment that is important for your whole family to experience, and it’s also important you take trips that are good for all the family – including you.

Indeed, making time for yourself, and also your intimate relationship is vitally important to bringing balance in your family life – and in this vein, it’s good to have a few trips without the kids, if at all possible, to rekindle and nurture the romantic bond between the two of you that can sometimes be overlooked in daily living.

• Health & Wellbeing
  

You need to look after your family’s health and wellbeing, as without your health, things begin to feel very rocky and uncertain. It can be good to take some time each day, just to be grateful for having the state of health you do – even down to the fact you have the eyes to read this.

We often take our health for granted, and only truly appreciate it when it is taken away from us – so, on the one hand you need to take care of yourself and your family, then, on the other, you need to take some time to appreciate just how precious your state of health is.

• You Time
  

It’s imperative you make time for yourself; just like how you would carve out some time for your kids to do their homework, you need to carve out some time for rest and relaxation, or enjoyment and fun.

Some people, especially parents, consider taking time out for themselves to be selfish, yet if you’re exhausted, you’re not going to be able to give the most you can to your family.

It’s therefore vitally important you take time out for yourself… whether this is a simple candlelit bath from time to time, an activity such as yoga, or a few weekend breaks dotted throughout the calendar where you go away without the kids, or perhaps with a friend.

Contributed Article.