Summer is finally winding down and for many of us, this means a return to the hectic schedule of real life. The kids are returning to school, professional responsibilities are ramping up, and all of a sudden that cherished family time you’ve been enjoying so much is in jeopardy.
It’s easy to let time with loved ones slide as your to-do list grows and yet experts agree that doing so is not just bad form, it’s bad for your health, too. Numerous studies show that spending time with family reduces stress, improves mental health, and lengthens your lifespan. Moreover, children see the benefit of family time in increased academic performance, improved behavioral patterns, and increased self-esteem.
While on a given day you may not feel like you have time for a family meal, games night, or movie party, you no doubt agree that you can (and should) make time for such activities in general. Nonetheless, doing so is easier said than done and so we’ve crafted a few tips to ensure time with loved ones doesn’t end as soon as summer is over.
Three Tips for More Family Time this Fall
1. Get Your Priorities Straight
We all know how overwhelming work can be at times. When client inquiries are piling up, your staff is clamoring for attention, and the end of the month is looming it can be easy to imagine professional responsibilities as a matter of life and death. However, unless you’re a heart surgeon, chances are this is not the case.
While it may not feel like it, work can wait. If your kid has a little league game this Wednesday, don’t stay late at the office. If junior has a piano recital, be there.
Your presence at family events shows your loved ones that, well, they truly are your loved ones. Though you may not receive recognition for this now, you can be sure they will hold and cherish this knowledge for the rest of their lives.
2. Pencil It In
You pencil professional commitments into your calendar because they are important. Why not do the same with family time, kid’s activities, and events?
When you block off time for, say, dinner with your spouse and children you at once ensure these important events happen and you relieve yourself of needing to apply constant mental energy to show up.
3. Establish Work Boundaries (and Allow Others to do the Same)
Nurturing a healthy professional life is all about having boundaries. If you’re not taking care of yourself, you can’t take care of your responsibilities. With this in mind, talk to your team, boss, coworkers, or clients about your need to prioritize family time. Let them know when you’ll be offline or unavailable and then treat these boundaries as if they were sacred (because they are!).
Planning for family time is planning for the future because the investment you make in your loved ones now will nourish your well-being for years to come. That said, there’s also a practical side to all of this and that’s where estate planning comes in. Time with loved ones is vital but so too is looking out for their physical and financial well-being. An estate plan achieves just this. To learn more, do not hesitate to reach out to the experienced estate planning attorneys at the Estate Planning Law Group of Georgia.
Contact the Estate Planning Law Group of Georgia
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