Your Family Matters 2023
In the busy lives we live today, we often find it difficult to spend enough time with the people we call our family.
We often tend to forget that our relationship with family and loved ones require attention and effort to remain healthy and happy.
Who do you see as your Family?
A family can consist of one or more parents and children living together as a unit. It can also be people who care for each other, are not related to each other, and do not necessarily live together. Your friends can also be your family. Your family is determined by the people you love and care for, and those who want to see you succeed and grow in life.
What a happy family means
There’s no family in the world in which people don’t have their differences. Every relationship has challenges, and every person is different from another, even in a happy family. A happy family does not mean that people don’t argue or disagree, if this was true, there would not be a single happy family in the world.
People have differences, they argue, but they are still bonded by love. They understand their differences and don’t let them overcome their love for each other.
A happy family makes us feel safe and gives us mental peace.
Your family might be unhappy if
· there’s a constant feeling of restlessness and fear present
· small issues lead to big disagreements and fights
· they always find excuses not to spend time together
· there’s a verbalised feeling that they are not being understood
· there’s a reluctance to share things with each other
What to do if your family seems unhappy
· Try to understand the demands on time and energy (if you feel neglected)
· Agree to share responsibilities (support each other)
· Respect each other’s life choices (even if you don’t agree, is it worth giving up the relationship?)
· Talk things out (People cannot read your mind, they won’t understand your thoughts or feelings if you don’t share them)
· Show affection and appreciation (as often as you can)
· Remember it is more important to be kind than to be right
Tips to ensure a healthy and happy family
1. Promote healthy activities (E.g. Exercise together, play games to stimulate mental health, eat healthy food, and have fun together)
2. Find time to rest and relax
3. Forgive each other – nobody’s perfect
4. Explore new things together
5. Spend quality time together
6. Kick addictions that affect your family life negatively
7. Reduce your stress levels
8. Be mindful of each other’s needs
If you find yourself struggling to get your family on board, remember that modelling healthy behaviours is a good place to start. You may not be able to make your family change, but you can start your own wellness journey. Once they see the changes you are making, chances are they will want to jump on board too.
What is a dysfunctional family?
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehaviour, and often child neglect or abuse and sometimes even all of the above occur continuously and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such a situation is normal. Dysfunctional families are primarily a result of two adults, one typically overtly abusive and the other co-dependent, and may also be affected by substance abuse or other forms of addiction, or sometimes by an untreated mental illness.
A functional family on the other hand is characterized by mutual love, respect, humour and healthy boundaries.
There’s no such thing as a “perfect” family. Families fight. They make mistakes and sometimes hurt each other. Families can be imperfect and functional at the same time.
Unfortunately, some families are dysfunctional. According to a 2018 study, growing up in a dysfunctional family can have many negative effects, including mental health challenges and difficulty at work and in relationships.
If you think your family has dysfunctional traits, tools such as functional family therapy can help.
The Corporate Family
At a time when organizations are looking for new ways to build high-performance teams, perhaps they should be considering a family approach to business that emphasizes trust and values. A teamwork environment where camaraderie means having each other’s back and not judging one another.
A workplace culture that celebrates opportunities, transparency, and the opinions of all to enrich conversations and diversity of thought.
Five ways a leader can build a corporate “family” environment to achieve excellence in the workplace
1. Give your team a sense of ownership and belonging
2. Make your team feel valued and protected
3. Instil values to enable a trustworthy culture
4. Encourage your team to share their thoughts and ideas
5. Embrace positive change and constructive criticism
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