Nurturing your family connections can help you and your family members cope better with the uncertainty and changing conditions created by the coronavirus and COVID-19.
Tips to foster family well-being:
- Live a healthy lifestyle together. Plan for, shop, and eat healthy foods. Exercise as a family if you can. Or, promote physical activity suited for each family member. Get enough sleep.
- Plan to eat at least one meal a day together. Have each person talk about his or her day, such as stating the best part and worst part.
- Spend time together. Attend important events for each family member.
- Express care and concern. Be available to help each other out. Listen, listen, listen.
- Practice good manners. Say, “Thank you” and “You’re welcome.” Make it a practice to send thank you calls, notes, letters, or emails to others for gifts and other acts of kindness.
- Express affection. Say, “I love you,” “I care about you,” and “You mean a lot to me.”
- Discuss the value of the family as a whole. Encourage individual expression and development.
- Define clear, yet flexible roles for family members. Assign family chores.
- Keep the house as organized as possible.
- Discuss the need to adapt to changes and deal with stressful events.
- Seek professional help for problems the family cannot deal with on its own.
Factors that promote well-being:
- Being well cared for and feeling secure
- Receiving trust, love, support, and hugs
- Spending quality time together
- Listening well to each other
- Solving problems in a positive way
- Positive mood of family members
- Satisfaction with job and/or being a parent
- Being involved with partner and children
- Higher income and/or financial security
Action Step: This week let at least two family members know how much you love them. Call a relative who is alone or would be happy to hear from you.