It might seem like something small but the time that we spend with family can have a significant impact on the way we go about our day-to-day lives and the different facets of our health and wellness. Without quality family time, seniors could experience emotional distress, a significant lack of family bonds, and a decrease in happiness. It’s simpler than you would think to experience heightened levels of anxiety and stress and even higher than normal blood pressure ranges all from not having a strong connection with family during the holiday season.
Let’s talk about all the top reasons why social interaction especially with family and friends is healthy not just during the holidays but every day.
1. It’s a Stress-Reducer
The holidays can be a hectic and stressful time for many people. From shopping and preparing for celebrations to attending holiday parties, there is a lot to do. Spending time with family can help reduce stress and anxiety. Just being around loved ones can help to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, both of which can increase during times of stress. When you are physically present with those that you love you are also building a much stronger emotional support network. Seniors in Florida will experience not just a reduction in stress from spending time with family but an improvement in brain health, mental health, and even a stronger immune system.
2. Quality Time Boosts Happiness
The holidays are a time for being with loved ones, doing the things that make us feel the most like ourselves, and getting in touch with what gives us joy. If you have grandchildren, the holiday season is one of the most amazing times to enhance the quality time that you spend with them. Not only does it mean a lot to them but it could be positively life-changing for you. Seniors that get to enjoy time with children often experience higher cognitive functioning. While they can be a handful and bursts of energy, they offer positive effects on your level of happiness.
3. It Increases Longevity Believe It or Not
Not only can spending time with family make you happier, but it can also help you live longer. Did you know that healthy relationships actually increase our lifespan by up to 50%? This can equate to relationships with those that hold the most weight in our lives like our friends and our families. Our levels of happiness, comfort, and general well-being are all affected by the relationships we have. A lot of this has to do with quality of life because our overall health significantly improves when we have strong ties to family or friends. For seniors living in Florida with no family present during the holidays, it’s important to highlight the meaning of the things that you enjoy the most and getting interaction with people in your community or even your pet.
4. Family Time Improves Mental Health
Spending time with family can also improve mental health. Just as we mentioned that time with family and friends is a stress reducer, poor family relationships can actually result in stress or even adverse physical symptoms. Not to mention, it can negatively affect a senior’s mental well-being. Spending time with loved ones during the holidays is a way to combat negative mental health effects and not only does it help with this, but it can also help to lower blood pressure and reduce the development of depression.
If you’re a senior living in Florida, it’s important to realize that time with loved ones isn’t just important during the holidays, it’s important every day although the holidays are a time for the most concern due to higher rates of loneliness. So if you want to improve your mental health, spend time with your family, friends, or those that you care the most about. The overall key though is meaningful social interaction.
5. Quality Time strengthens Family Bonds
This might go without saying but family time can significantly enhance your family ties. Additionally, when you increase the quality time that you spend with your loved ones, you are experiencing a sense of belonging. For seniors, this also means that you are forming a sense of security, especially for your health and wellness. Whether you are doing holiday activities together, cooking a meal together, or reminiscing over old stories, it can be surprising how small things like this add so much weight to your health.
Social Interaction During the Holiday Season With Those That Mean The Most
If you’re looking for ways to improve your mental and physical health this holiday season, spend some time with your family. You’ll reduce your stress levels, be happier, and even live longer. Quality time From even a small amount of social exposure, you might notice a difference in the way that you feel, realize that you have an easier time relaxing and that you simply have the ability to enjoy yourself more. Family can often be our lifeline and for seniors without family, significant ties of any kind are just as meaningful. To get the most out of the holiday season, do things that make you happy and surround yourself with those you love.
