Wellbeing: Three Family Rituals

The John Kirwan Foundation has created an app called Mentemia that coaches wellbeing and is free to all New Zealanders. The app gives you small daily steps that can create change for your wellbeing. There are also useful articles and one that is worth sharing is three family rituals that are good for wellbeing: After Work: Having a ritual that helps you transition from work like to home life and reconnects with your family can make a big difference. Something that includes some movement can clear your head and make you feel more relaxed. It could be a quick game of tag or kicking a ball around in the garden, a walk around the block or putting on a song that everybody can dance together. It might only take 5 minutes but can help you move from one phase into the next. At the dinner table Sharing the events of our day with family members can be a great way to unpack things and process what we've experienced. It can also be a chance for parents to get a window into what's going on in their children's world - something that can become increasingly difficult as they move into their teen years. One way to do this is for each person to share: One thing they enjoyed from their day or that they felt proud of themselves for.i One thing that challenged them. One thing that they are excited for our looking forward to in the future. It normalises that every day is full of different emotions but leaves us focussed on something positive. In the evenings Finishing the day by talking about three things you're thankful for can be a good one to do at bedtime. Again, this is a ritual that brings benefits for both adults and children. Regularly practising gratitude is linked with greater happiness and reduced depressive symptoms.