It is the season of celebration, excitement is all around.
Are you still trapped in office or amidst work? Are you finding it difficult to
take some time out for loved ones? Having fun is a serious business for
happiness and especially important for our close relationships. Yet it's easy
to overlook when we are busy with work and the practical demands of everyday
life. As the pace of life has increased for many of us it's often at expense of
enjoying time with family and friends.
.jpg)
Scientific research highlights the importance of doing
something fun with our partner, family and close friends. It makes us and them
happier and it strengthens our relationships, which in turn leads to greater
overall well-being. Positive emotions make us more social and open to new
experiences and ideas as individuals. So finding ways to have fun and do
new things with your loved ones is a great way to build your happiness.
Here are some tips that will help you take out the required
time for your loved ones:
1. Get together to work on common goals
Many of us set goals this year to get in better shape. However, with your tight schedule and endless responsibilities, meeting that goal can seem
nearly impossible. Add fitting in time for friends to your list and going
to the gym just gets pushed further out of mind. Rather than having to choose
between your weekly workouts or seeing a friend, why not do both?
Team up with a fitness-minded friend and work on meeting that get-fit goal
together, advises Siklos. "If you do a weekly class or a weekly workout
with your friend, then you're getting the double benefit of meeting another
goal in your life as well as spending time with a friend," she says.
2. Schedule time for friends into your calendar
How many times have we told our friends that we'll get together soon or that
we'll give them a call sometime? It's easy for these promises to get lost in
the weekly chaos. Siklos suggests making these get-togethers a
priority.
"When someone has a doctor's appointment or their kid has a soccer game,
they don't waffle and say 'I'm busy, I can't do it.' They do it because it's a
priority," she says.
So treat your friends, and more importantly yourself, as a priority. "By
treating yourself as a priority you make time for the things that are important
to you," says Siklos.
3. Branch out and try new things
As we progress through life it's easy to become comfortable with our current
circle of friends. However, it's important to not only maintain your current
social circle, but to also branch out from it.
"Most research will show that a truly healthy person will have a mix
of old
friends and new
friends," Siklos says. "I think that from my clients' experiences
-- as well as my own -- when you go and do new things and meet new people, yes
sometimes it's frightening or sometimes it can cause anxieties,
but it's actually really beneficial to broaden your circle."
4. Use any occasion as an excuse to get together
Getting together with a friend doesn't always have to be the social event of
the year. Sometimes a nice, quiet evening in together can be just as beneficial
(if not more so) than a night on the town. Siklos suggests doing something as
simple as inviting a friend over to watch the Oscars or the Super Bowl. Ask
your spouse to look after the kids so you can enjoy some time with your friend.
Even just a few hours will give you both a boost and allow you to reconnect,
she says.
Friends are important to our well-being, and it's beneficial
to maintain those connections despite busy lives and overloaded schedules. Good
friends will be around through the good and the bad, and will offer support no
matter what you're going through.
Friends, progress is important in life, but so is keeping
your relationships intact. Don’t wait for your retirement, start building your
relationships now. These things keep you growing and going forward.
Till then,
enjoy your Christmas and loads of laughter.
Love BSR
