How to use Family Time to deal with Anxiety

Anxiety comes in many forms. Many moms have to deal with it daily. Functioning with anxiety and raising your children make some days extremely difficult. It is documented that moms are more prone to anxious feelings and anxiety disorders as they are consumed with the occurrences of their children. Find out more about being a great mom while having anxiety here. Using family time to deal with anxiety may seem opposite of what you would think could help, but family time is a positive interaction that can decrease anxiety especially when family time is performed on a consistent basis.

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Family time defined

Family time is defined as focused time spent with family members. Family time is basically self care for your family as whole unit. Family is a unit of people who have the same morals, belief system, and traditions.

Ideas for family time

• Movies
• Dance Party
• Go to park
• Ride bikes
• Go on a walk
• Go fishing
• Cook a meal
• Bake cookies
• Color/ paint/ craft
• Read a book
• Go to the library
• Plant flowers
• Play a game
• Care for a pet

Benefits of Family Time

Emotional bond

The more time you spend with people doing things that you enjoy and have fun doing, the closer you become with them. These are those memories you have of where your family went on summer vacation growing up or your holiday traditions around Christmas. Or those cousin sleep overs as you continued to grow up. They are the smells of certain foods that take you back to your grandmother’s kitchen. All of these things create an emotional bond. Emotional bonds release chemicals in the brain that activate happiness and calmness. Check out this article that discusses the brain chemicals that result in happiness https://www.happyfeed.co/research/4-brain-chemicals-make-you-happy .Doing more activities with your family causes more of those positive chemical releases- creating a sense of well being when you are with your family.

Improved communication

Using words to communicate to each other as human beings is what allows us to surpass animal society. Animals do communicate but it is non-verbal. Humans are able to use other methods of communication but we are also able to use words to express our thoughts. Some of us are better at this than others, but spending time with your family allows you to discover ways to communicate with them optimally. This allows you to get your point across as well as understand them a lot better. Family time also provides the uninterrupted time for communication to occur.

Build confidence

Everyone can use a boost of confidence. Spending time with your family does just that. Yes, we all have our faults but our family loves us just the same. Family also allows for children and adults to express themselves and their dreams. With family to provide that support, you feel like you can go forward into the world with people behind you that have your back. Imagine the effects for your children when they know that they can count on their family members to support their dreams.

Improved mental health

Dealing with anxiety and the other stressors of being a mom, mental health is at a premium. Whatever you can do to preserve it and improve it, you must do. Family time is sometimes a link that we do not even realize that holds a key to aiding in our mental state. Those brain chemicals and boosted self confidence supports positive mental health. Having that consistent family time also allows everyone to see when someone else may be struggling. Extra support can sometimes come from outside our home, but it can also come from those who love us the most.

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Benefits of laughter on anxiety

Family time in our home is full of laughter. A lot of laughter. My whole crew is full of characters from my husband down to my youngest child. Sometimes I laugh so hard, I cry.  Laughter is excellent from relieving anxiety. There are so many research studies that support laughter as being a huge benefit for mental and physical health. Yes, life is serious but don’t take yourself so seriously.

Decreases effects of the actual hormone that causes you to feel stressed

• Your body releases all type of hormones based on our perception and what is happening in our environment. Stress has a hormone that is associated with it. Laughing counteracts stress with an opposite reaction that can overtake the challenge you are dealing with.

Strengthens immune system

• Your immune system protects you from all environmental attacks. It can always use a boost because it works all the time. You need to be able to counteract germs and environmental challenges that could affect your health. Laughter releases positive hormones through your system which aids in allowing your immune response to perform optimally.

Changes your pain perception

• You sometimes can feel like something hurts a lot more when you are not in the best mental state. Your pain is amplified when you are surrounded in negativity. Laughter allows for you to be in a more positive mental state.

Resources about benefits of laughter

• Laughter is No Joke! Discover The Health Benefits Associated with Laughter
• Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke

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Resources on benefits of family time

• 6 Benefits of Spending Time with Family (Hint: It’s More Important Than You Think) – outlines the benefits family members receive when they spend time together
• Doing things together: adolescent health and family rituals– addresses those challenging teenage years and how family time aids in decreasing the challenge a little
• Making time for kids? Study says quality trumps quantity – looks at amount of family time versus spending family time at all; resulted in conclusion that family time should be spent performing something of quality and does not have to be performed for a long amount of time to reap the benefits
• Does the Amount of Time Mothers Spend With Children or Adolescents Matter? – takes into account the amount of time a mother spends with her children and if that affects what they receive from the time together

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Other ways to deal with anxiety as a mom

Self care

Using self care that is scheduled and has value to you can aid in reducing your anxiety. The key to this self care time relates directly to consistency of having it and high value return of the activity for yourself. Decide what you really enjoy and make an appointment with yourself to do that thing. Don’t take yourself for granted and allow someone else to fill that slot. You can not help your family optimally if you continue to give to them without allowing yourself some time alone.

Journaling 

Using journaling as a form of self care can introduce you to another part of your personality that you did not know existed. Even if you are not a writer, you can journal. Get creative and express your feelings with writing or even drawing in your journal. You can even use journaling to help you make decisions in your life in a concrete, visual way as you write down your thought process. Having a decision making process that you can reflect on in the future will aid in decreasing anxiety.

Planning

Planning can decrease your anxiety because you know what to expect during your day and you have planned for it. Yes, unexpected events can occur but there are those usual things that happen each week. Get these events scheduled and in place. Make time for things you care about because you have planned out those other adulting tasks. Are you trying to figure out how to really make planning work for you and decrease your anxiety? Check out tips that I use here. I focus on daily priorities versus a to-do list. Make a daily top priority and see how that adjusts your focus as you move through your day.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. Check out the resources and also share with a friend! I strive to bring you information that will help you Find Your Flourish! by creating the optimal balance between work and home life without compromising in either area.

Go ahead and plan that next family time activity. Make memories and enjoy your family!

Be you, be focused, be well!

Find Your Flourish! |Shanna|

National Alliance on Mental Illness

• If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, seek help. If it is an emergency, call 911.
• If you are looking for assistance that is non-emergent, reach out to the National Alliance on Mental Illness https://www.nami.org/help. The NAMI HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., ET.
• 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org
• You can also text NAMI at Text NAMI to 741-741.
• Connect with a trained crisis counselor to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message.

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Read a previous post from the list below:

• Functional Fixedness and Its Effects
• 5 Ways to Implement Carlson’s Law to Increase Your Success
• Mastering Midlife: Page 2
• Mastering Midlife: Page 1
• New Quarter; Find out what’s new

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Need a personal pick me up or something for your best friend or your mother? Check out this post on self care items that I enjoy that have a small investment with a big return. I am sure you will find something on this list that they will enjoy or you might even like yourself.