How happy is your family? Our families bring us joy, better health and wellbeing but they can also be the source of distress. The pandemic has not eased the situation.
Navigating family life is a process of being able to create healthy connection that can tolerate life challenges without destroying the intimate connection that families bring. Those of love, respect and support.
The positive and negative aspects of family relationships have a large impact on our well-being. These include our ability to cope with stress, engage in healthy behaviours, and increase our self-esteem. However the converse can also be true. The relationship issues that can derail a family’s ability to have positive relationships are many: communication, life stages, unrealistic expectations, rigid views on how families should be – the stresses are countless
What is important to know is that we are literally wired to connect to our family. This bonding process develops through both our love relationships with our partner and children with what is termed ‘the parental care giver attachment’. We are able to see via brain scans that when we are with our loved ones our anxiety levels reduce and we start producing feel-good hormones. So when these very close relationships are in a state of flux we will be physically and mentally impacted.
Keeping perspective as a couple is important. Family life often does not go to plan. Family life can have ups and downs. Couples who commit to working as a team are able to use the process of overcoming obstacles as a means of bringing a family together. At The Relationship Practice we understand the messiness of family life and also the impact that the stress can have on all family members.
