Christmas is fast approaching, and without a doubt, everyone is excited. It’s our chance, after all, to have fun and be thankful for what we have, including our families.
For many of us, this is the only time when we can spend quality time with our loved ones, especially if we’ve had quite a busy and challenging year. Christmas is perfect for creating new memories with the people we love and care about, and we can all look forward to what the holidays will bring.
But did you know that the warm feelings we have once the season starts have some proven health benefits as well? Now you have a better excuse than ever to take a few days off and relax with your family! Here are the best benefits of bonding with your family during the Christmas holidays.
You can live a longer, more fulfilling life
When we spend time with our families, whether it’s our parents, siblings, kids, or even extended family – we can live longer, more satisfying and more fulfilling lives. Having great relationships with others can help us live longer, and it’s been proven. In a study done by Harvard on approximately 300,000 individuals, they found that people without any strong ties to family or friends increased their risk of dying prematurely by up to 50 per cent.
You can lower your risk of mental health decline
Another benefit of spending time with family or friends is that we can lower our risk of mental health decline. In another study done in Sweden, they found that individuals over 75 years old with the healthiest and strongest familial ties displayed the lowest dementia risk.
You can indulge in feelings of love and trust, and benefit from the power of laughter
The holidays are the perfect time to get together with those we love, and we can lose our issues and inhibitions or at least forget them for a period. The warmth of the season can envelop us and leave us with feelings of love and trust, and surrounding ourselves with laughter has a deeply positive impact, too. During the Christmas holidays, we tend to exhibit warmer feelings towards our loved ones, and whether it’s brought about by the relevance of the season or not, it has a beneficial effect on our psyche.
The mere act of “breaking bread” amidst such a setting is already enough to make us feel a lot better. But if you’re not too keen on inviting everyone over and cooking and preparing for days, you can benefit from another solution: rent a large home for a few days! Big houses to rent are readily available for the Christmas holidays, and many people find it easier to relax in a different setting because they don’t have to worry about anything. Besides, lots of these places have outstanding facilities, such as vast indoor pools, theatre and game rooms, and so on – which can add to your overall relaxation!
You can take a “vacation” from being an adult
It doesn’t matter how old you are – it’s nice feeling like we are young once again sometimes, and the holidays have this particular vibe. When you spend time with your parents, for example, it can make you feel like a kid, and it’s the perfect mini-break you’ve probably been looking forward to without even realising it.
Image attributed to Pixabay.com