To be healthy we need to have strong relationships with those close to us. Relationships affect our mental health and our mental health plays right into our physical health. We have to nurture both the physical and the mental aspects of life.
Communication is a key part of the foundation that builds those strong relationships. Most of us have busy lives that have us multi-tasking, running errands and checking electronic devices for short snippets of info from work, friends or family. This lifestyle is not conducive to meaningful conversation. It is often counterproductive when we misinterpret what we think others are thinking, but don’t stop to clear the air. Having meaningful conversations with others is not easy for many people but there is help for those of you who don’t know where to start. You can outsource your communication. That doesn’t mean someone will do the talking for you but there are people who can give you words and conversation starters that will lead you past mundane everyday chit chat and help you to develop meaningful conversations with those close to you.
Last year, in podcast 38, I interviewed Jennifer Zumbiel. She is the creator of Togather™ a dinner table game designed to help families make moments that matter. She is a strong advocate of family mealtimes. As you sit down together for a meal, you can ask the questions on the Togather™ stickers and delve deeper into subjects so your family can grow closer
Today Jennifer and I sat down again to share some of her insight with you.
Our pre-virus world was often chaotic due to different schedules and needs of a family.
Finding the time to have family dinners during that chaos was even harder than knowing how to start conversations when we did find time. Many people are now isolated with their families and the obstacle of finding time is removed. It is the perfect time to reconnect with your spouse and your children and build habits, values and memories that will stay with them into adulthood.
Communicating with depth and meaning may not be your strength. But that does not mean it is a weakness. To learn ways to ask questions that make connections and reveal character in your relationships, lean into other people’s strengths. It will make you stronger. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Use resources like Togather™ to get you started and give your family the ability to learn and grow.
Resources:
https://www.facebook.com/TogatherMoments/
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=TogatherMoments
Instagram: @togathermoments
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