How Spending Time with Family During Labor Day Affects Your Health

By Kaitlyn Thompson HERWriter

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Spend Time with Your Friends and Family This Labor Day

Via Unsplash

The three-day weekend brought on by Labor Day is often filled with friends and family, celebrating the short break with a gathering or barbecue.

Spending time with your loved ones on holidays like Labor Day is not only is enjoyable, but can improve the state of your health.

Strengthening Your Bond As a Family Can Improve Your Overall Well-Being

Making time to spend with your family has been shown in numerous studies to make you feel happier and healthier. It is especially important for children, as it can help improve their grades in school and decrease the likelihood that they will engage in drug use.

Spending time with your family on holidays strengthens the bond that you have together and allows you to become more close-knit.

When you elect to spend time with your family this Labor Day, you are choosing to create a positive impact on not only your mental and physical health, but theirs as well.

Spending Time with Your Sister Can Make You Happier

A study of 571 people presented at a British Psychological Society meeting showed that those who spent time with their sisters were more likely to be happy, reported BBC News.

Individuals with sisters were found to have better communication amongst the family and were more likely to be balanced, according to the study.

Encourage sibling bonding time this Labor Day weekend to create a happy and open family gathering.

Your Health Reflects the Health of Who You Spend Time with

Have you ever noticed that your health and lifestyle choices often reflect those that you spend the most time with?

According to a global survey done by The Edelman Health Barometer in 2011, 46 percent of people cite their friends and family as having an impact on the state of their health, reported Huffington Post.

In the interview of 15,000 people, 36 percent of people stated that family and friends were the biggest influence when it came to their health.

31 percent of people surveyed stated that they want to distance themselves from loved ones who make negative health choices due to the impact it has on their personal health.

Whether you know it or not, the healthiness of your lifestyle impacts others, and by surrounding yourself with healthy people you are more likely to follow suit. Be a good role model for your friends and family this Labor Day by encouraging healthy eating and exercise.

Talking to Your Mother Can Lower Your Stress

In a test done with girls age 7 to 12 who were put into a stressful situation, a 2010 study showed that those who talked to their mothers afterwards were less stressed than those who did not, reported CNN.

Not only does speaking with your mother reduce your stress, but hugging her as well can result in a raise in oxytocin levels.

Taking time to spend with your mother and other family members can be beneficial to the health of all involved. And what more perfect time to do so than this Labor Day weekend?

Sources:

The Benefits of Quality Family Time, YMCA of Silicon Valley, September 1, 2015.
http://www.ymcasv.org/blog/?p=39

Health Benefits Of Friends And Family: 8 Reasons Why It's Healthy To Spend Time With Loved Ones, Huffington Post, September 1, 2015.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/22/health-benefits-friends-family_...

Sisters 'make people happy', BBC News, September 1, 2015.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7977454.stm

Stressed? Calling Mom helps, study says, CNN, September 1, 2015.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/12/stress.mother.voice.call/index.html

Friends, Family Are The Biggest Influences On Our Health: Study, Huffington Post, September 1, 2015.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/07/friends-family-health-influence...

Reviewed September 1, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.