Between school, jobs, and other time demanding responsibilities, finding time together with family can be difficult. In spite of technological innovations like smartphones, Skype, and social media, nothing compares with the real deal. After all, you only live once, and nothing beats quality time spent with the people you love.

Everyone inherently knows that family time is important, and studies reinforce it, with family relationships shown to affect delinquency in adolescents. There are also studies demonstrating a link between family relationships and perceived social competence, which has an infinite amount of lifelong implications for an individual, from job success to happiness.

With the importance of family time in mind, many wonder how to manage the often delicate work-life balance between maintaining a career to support a family and spending time with loved ones. Below, this article will explore ways to do just that.

Visit A Resort

Keeping a family in working order can be demanding at home, let alone while traveling to an exotic location. Fortunately, there are resorts that streamline the traveling process while also serving as a fun vacation for kids. Everything is located conveniently on the premises, allowing for maximum comfort at a bargain price.

Likewise, if you are looking for a more adult-oriented experience, there are couples resorts that are an absolute bargain.

Modernity has led to many spending countless hours indoors in front of screens and artificial light, much to the dissatisfaction of our biology. Visiting a family resort at a sunny location is a great way to right this wrong, all while bonding with loved ones.

Run A Marathon

Running a 5k or something similar is a good way to not only get your hearts pumping but also to soak in the scenery of the place in which you run it. They are generally quite easy to find on Facebook or other social media, and are quite inexpensive and support a good cause.

Doing strenuous activities with loved ones can help to strengthen bonds, while also reinforcing your own personal resolve in the face of discomfort. In addition, running has tremendous health benefits, including a reduction in all-cause mortality risk and improvements in cardiovascular health.

Learn A New Language Together

This is a great way for everyone to expand their minds together. Learning a new language grants the learner with the gift of being able to understand a different culture in a more meaningful way than would otherwise be possible. Many people go their entire lives only knowing one language, only to visit a foreign country later in life and wish they could understand the local people more deeply.

For kids and younger people, the benefits are obvious and can be carried with them throughout their lives. For parents, it’s also a great opportunity to challenge their brains in ways they likely haven’t experienced since they were in school. This helps to keep the brain agile and pliable, as studies suggest that learning increases neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus.

Do Something Selfless For Others

This can be something as simple as helping out at a homeless shelter or volunteering at a soup kitchen. Helping others without a more personal ulterior motive feels good, and lets you get in touch with yourself and humanity in a unique way. Reaching out to someone else who needs it helps put life into a more healthy perspective, and lets you understand the commonalities all people share in spite of differences in outer appearance.

Learn to understand someone’s story. You might be surprised with the characteristics you share with someone you don’t expect to. When it comes down to it, people from all walks of life are subject to the same emotions and hardships. Understanding someone different from yourself helps to unify us and instill a sense of humility.

Visit An Art Museum

Art is something that opens our minds and helps us feel. There are also many aspects to it which words fail to explain sufficiently. Visiting an art museum offers the chance to explore other cultures and minds. Since artwork is essentially a mental snapshot of an artist, it teaches us about the emotions, dedication, and culture that went into its creation.

Becoming familiar with art also teaches us to appreciate the beauty we see around us. Something as simple as a flower or autumn leaf can often go unnoticed and taken for granted in the routine of everyday life. Being able to appreciate the beauty around us enriches our lives and can bring a much-needed ray of sunshine to an otherwise miserable day.

Art can also inspire us, or awaken an artist lurking within us. Art has always been a fixture in society across time, which speaks to its inherent importance. Many people have a creative side within themselves that falls into decrepitude from neglect and the prioritization of other aspects of life. Going to a museum can help to reinvigorate this part of the soul.

Climb A Mountain

There are few feelings more rewarding than reaching the top of a mountain and taking in the view that you worked so hard to reach. There are many life lessons to be learned from climbing a mountain, from the importance of persistence and hard work, to respect and appreciation of nature’s majesty.

“Climbing a mountain” is a common metaphor in everyday parlance, referring to the act of overcoming a certain obstacle. By literally managing to do it, you understand why and begin to see the many metaphoric parallels the act shares with other aspects of life.