Self-Care Sunday: Get happy with quality friends and family time

Humans are social creatures and as such, we need healthy relationships for our wellbeing. And the best way to foster a healthy relationship is with good old-fashioned, face-to-face quality time!

This is especially important in the pursuit of happiness, which is often seen primarily as an internal quest. While it is true that happiness comes from within, it’s also true that our relationships play an important role in our happiness.

Our resident happiness expert, Dr Tim Sharp, explains:

“Many of our experiences and strengths develop in, and depend upon, relationships. The rewards of knowing and acting through personal strengths may be more fulfilling and lead to greater well-being when we feel self-directed and connected to others.”

This self-care Sunday, we encourage you to drop everything for the sake of relationships.

Think about someone that enriches your life and your spirit, and make solid plans spend quality time with them. While you’re together, do your best to keep Dr Happy’s seven tips for building positive relationships in mind.

1. look for and appreciate the best in others
2. develop open & effective communication
3. be clear about the specific purpose of the relationship
4. praise as often as possible
5. assume the best (until proven otherwise)
6. develop respect
7. build trust

If you plan on spending time with your family, significant other or someone you live with; take extra special care to actually engage in something together (like play), rather than simply being in the same room as one another.

It helps if you make plans to do something outside the home. Plan a family picnic, an outing or better yet something active like a bike ride or walk. You’ll get the benefits of all those happiness-inducing endorphins!

You can even use this time to do something productive like meal prepping or cooking a delicious Sunday dinner together.

Top tip: make sure you keep devices hidden so you don’t get distracted, and at the end, schedule in another date to spend more time together!

Do you believe in the healing power of positive relationships? Let us know in the comments below!

What is Self-Care Sunday? It’s your weekly reminder to treat yourself, slow down and make sure you’re taking extra special care of number one. Because the first step to long-lasting weight loss is self-love!