Families can be a life-giving force when they are healthy and relatively stress-free. When healthy,there can be one constant you can count on—so much so that a healthy family relationship can positively impact your health and well-being.
Strong family relationships also provide comfort, guidance, and strength that you can depend on in times of stress. Likewise, they provide a sense of belonging and unconditional love you are not likely to find anywhere else. Here are some of the benefits of a healthy family:
Strong family relationships can:
Help each other cope with stress
Improve self-esteem
Increase well-being
Encourage healthy behaviors
Provide social support
Create foundations for healthy, trusting relationships with others
Allows people to feel secure and loved
Encourages the development of values and personal responsibility
Strengthen faith
Just like a healthy family dynamic can help you flourish, a toxic family environment can be detrimental to you.Unhealthy relationships are stress-filled; they can feel exhausting and emotionally draining. Highly-conflicted or toxic family relationships cause a lot of damage. Not only do they deprive you of support, but they also create additional stress, conflict, and even health issues.
Research indicates that 10% to 30% of children grow up in families where their health and well-being are endangered or weakened by unhealthy family relationships. Be intentional about taking the steps to create a healthy family unit and flourish together.