Dinnertime is an Investment in Your Mental Health.

            I’ve heard it said that at the end of our lives the thing we will regret is not spending more time with our family.  No one says from their deathbed that they regret they didn’t put more time in at the office.  Spending time with the people we cherish brings us joy.  We need that joy to recharge our batteries and to stay mentally healthy.

          In order to stay mentally healthy we also need the chance to achieve something quantifiable.  Our work can lead to those achievements.  I have been self-employed for 22 years.  I intimately know the work and effort that is required to create an income from nothing.  I also understand the pleasure that performing a job well can bring. 

          It amounts to that elusive word balance.  We need to figure out how to spend enough time in all areas of our lives to stay mentally happy and healthy.  Balance doesn’t just occur it must be planned.  Sometimes our family has to take second billing to our work.  There are other times when our family is all that matters. 

         It is easy to neglect the family side of the balance equation because we assume our families are more forgiving.  After all, they aren’t going to fire us and they aren’t going anywhere.  (Now that’s a dangerous assumption.)  If you don’t want to neglect your family then you must schedule specific time to spend with them.  I realize this might sound a bit contrived, but planning family time ensures that it occurs.

        Dinnertime is the perfect time to spend together as a family.  Everyone has to eat and at the end of the day there are many stories to share.  Select a few evenings a week that you know your entire family will be at home and plan to cook those nights.  Select a meal that you can all prep and cook together.  Then eat slowly savoring the home-cooked food and each other.  You’re investing in your own and your family’s physical and mental health.  You are also ensuring that that on your deathbed you won’t be regretting all of that time spent at the office.     

Cooking is easier than you think and you and your family are worth the time and effort it takes. 

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