If we were to turn the clock back twenty years, generally, Dad would finish work at 5pm, Mum would have spent the day cooking, looking after the kids and cleaning the house and families would be home together by 5-30pm. The evening would be spent eating a home cooked meal together at the table, then relaxing in front of the television or spending time on some other personal interest or family pursuit. Weekends would be filled with 1-2 social engagements, playing with the kids, watching them play sport and enjoying plenty of down time.
Fast forward to 2010 – families are lucky to be home together by 8pm, Mum and Dad generally both work, fast food in front of the TV becomes a regular habit and the kids are either in their room or detached from society with their i-Pod headphones on! Many people also do more work on their computers when they get home and also work at least some of the weekend. Social engagements are crammed in wherever possible and as long as everyone’s schedules allow for it!
In order to optimally balance such an intense existence, allowing you time to switch off regularly and have the opportunity to escape an often harsh reality is absolutely crucial. Whether this translates into a night or two each week reserved only to sacred self or family time, some time for exercise or regular trips away we all need time to think, reflect and relax. When was the last time you had such sacred time for both you and your family? If you had to think about it, perhaps it is worth scheduling some into your frantic life on a more regular basis. Not only will your mood benefit, but your stress hormone levels will reduce and your health will benefit as a result.
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