So, what exactly is family wellness? Think of those definitions, but instead for a unit. It’s about building strong relationships with your family and supporting one another. Sure, part of that includes family time, along with diet and exercise, but it doesn’t end there!

The National Wellness Institute has mapped out six dimensions of wellness, which all work together:

• Occupational — job satisfaction, career ambitions and personal performance
• Physical — balanced diet, exercise, healthcare
• Social — enhancement of personal relationships, building communities and better living spaces
• Intellectual — growth and stimulation of the mind through problem solving, creativity and learning; pursuing personal interests
• Spiritual — following your beliefs and values, searching for meaning and purpose
• Emotional — management of your feelings and behaviors, building interdependent relationships based on mutual commitment, trust and respect

Now that you have the basics down, our Windstream team has put together easy ways for you to practice family wellness.

01. Cook together and have an unplugged family dinner. 

This knocks out at least two of the six dimensions. You get to control what goes on the dinner table, and what’s better than getting some help doing that? There are many benefits to cooking with kids, including introducing your young’uns to new flavors and foods and using it as an avenue to talk about health and healthy foods. Once you’re all ready to dig in, have a family dinner. And put away all the electronics! Use that time to really engage with your spouse and children. It’s a chance for you to learn about what’s going on in everyone’s lives and have meaningful conversations.

02. Exercise together.

Whether it’s a walk around the block after dinner or an exercise regimen through Wii Fit or your Xbox, have some time when you exercise together. (If your children are still toddlers, here are some workouts you can do with them!) And make sure that you mix it up. If you go hiking one weekend, do some gardening the next, and go to the batting cage the week after. You can also set some shared fitness goals, such as running a 5K as a family.

03. Spend quality family time together.

Cooking and exercising together can fall under “quality time,” but it encompasses a bigger idea. Be mindful when you’re together. In other words, be present and be engaging. Have some one-on-one time with each member of your household, along with hanging out altogether. Learn each other’s interests — even if it’s binge-watching their favorite shows that month on Kinetic TV — and take part in those activities. 

04. Get behind a cause. 

Volunteer with your family. Whether it’s building a new home, working at a local soup kitchen or bringing items to a local hospital, bring your kiddos along! Purdue University Global says that volunteering as a unit can give your family a sense of accomplishment and pride and help teach values and life skills.

Put some or all four of these tips into practice to help improve your family wellness!