In life humans group together in family units. In addition to there being a biological link that causes this to occur, it also increases the comfort and safety of everyone in the group. Having others around who you can depend on and interact with helps us all to become better, smarter, and stronger.
Today however there’s a push in many societies for individualism and for the young to strike out on their own and turn their backs on their families. Even middle-aged people are deciding to go solo and depend on themselves rather than the strength the family unit provides. These decisions can negatively impact the quality of our lives. Here are a few reasons why family can positively impact your overall good health.
A Support System
When we hear about people who have hurt others or hurt themselves, a common theme is that they felt isolated and without anyone close to them to talk through their problems. Humans are designed to operate optimally in groups.
None of us are equipped to take on all of life’s challenges alone. Some personalities can successfully navigate small challenges well, While others struggle and these conditions. Other personalities can handle big issues, your struggle with a small challenges that occur in all of our lives.
Having a family unit around you allows you to gain support in any area of your life where you feel inadequate. You may not need the support system every day of your life, but just knowing that it is there brings comfort and security.
Familiarity
Familiarity is an important element of the human existence. When we around those that we are familiar with, we feel comfortable and more able to communicate and perform better. There’s something about having a close relationship with someone who is known you through the good times and the bad times that brings a heightened level of comfort and steadiness.
When you and not around those with whom you are familiar, there’s often and awkwardness that leads to being hesitant about discussing intimate topics that may be important to your understanding or well-being. Your family can function as a familiar foundation allowing you to test ideas and feelings within the family unit. Gaining support from them first allows you to comfortably take those ideas out into the world.
Love
There’s no more important emotion or need than love. Humans thrive off of love and use it to help them get through the hardest of times. Surfers like John Clemenza use the love and encouragement of family to propel themselves to their highest heights. With this support he is now looking to turn his love of surfing into becoming a professional in the sport.
Love begins with the love of your parents and gets augmented with the love of your siblings and extended family. This love provides the foundation for all areas of success in your life. When you get married and have your own family the love of your wife propels you forward and gives meaning to each of your days. When you have children, you’re loving them makes you become a better person and their love for you let you know that life is worth living. This is the importance of love in our lives and why family is so important to our overall health.
