Our technology-driven culture just keeps moving faster. And the faster we go, the less time we get hanging out and connecting together. Yet, by making one small change, we can double or triple the amount of time we get to spend with the people we love the most without stealing time from work or other important activities.
What’s the secret?
Identify activities you are doing separately and do them together.
Take chores, for instance. Our family used to divide and conquer chores on weekends. My wife would shop and cook, our kids would do dishes, and I would often head outside to cut grass and clean up. Then we made one small change. Each task was done with a partner. Our kids took turns making a meal with one of us. This meant spending time together planning a yummy menu, going to the store to buy ingredients, then learning how to cook together. We did the same with dishes and outside chores. The result: We spent more time together without stealing time from other activities.
Even activities that you must do alone can become more social.
Take time spent on email and homework.
Last weekend my son and I were both buried with work. While there was not time to hang out and talk, we decided to head to a local coffee shop and work sitting next to each other. We were both doing our work, but we were still doing something together.
Sometimes you might need to get creative.
Friends of ours lamented that they got so little time together. Sarah spent her evenings reading novels while Liam rested watching TV in a separate room. The solution? Sarah found noise-cancelling headphones and was able to read while snuggling with Liam, who was still able to watch TV. By bedtime both were surprised how much more connected they felt with each other.
So, are you getting enough time with the people you love the most? If not, get out your calendar and look for opportunities to do some activities together. You might be surprised at just how much more time you can discover to be with the people you love the most.
Have a great week.