With so many challenges facing people these days, it can be difficult to keep your focus on family. But, maintaining a family-oriented approach is critical to your overall well-being, including emotional, physical, spiritual, and even professional. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, student, work in an office 50 hours a week, work from home, or are retired, being family-oriented enriches your life.
What is The Family-Oriented Meaning? Are You Family-Oriented?
Defining what it means to be family-oriented looks different for various people. This variation springs from the fact that everyone possesses a unique perspective on life. What’s extremely important to one person might not mean as much to someone else. Likewise, what one person holds valuable might show up at the bottom of someone else’s priority list.
However, at its core, family-oriented means you consider your family and loved ones in all of your other decisions. For example, imagine that your boss offers you a promotion at work that will skyrocket your professional success. If you’re family-oriented, instead of immediately accepting the offer, you first consider the effect on your family.
If you look at the big picture and weigh how decisions will affect your family life, that’s a good indication that you’re family-oriented. Will your decision benefit your work life but drastically reduce the amount of time you can spend with family? Will it force you to relocate to another state and therefore require discussing it with your family first?
Do You Value Your Family’s Opinions?
A strong sign that you’re family-oriented is that you also value your family’s thoughts, feelings, and opinions. For example, in the above scenario, you would think about how your decision affects your family. But, you would also ask your family what they think and how they feel about the situation.
Your family’s response would factor significantly into your final choice. Respecting your family and caring about what they think is another big part of being family-oriented.
What are the main characteristics Of Family-Oriented People?
Besides respecting and valuing your family and their opinions, you likely possess several other characteristics if you’re family-oriented. Even if people are incredibly different, with a myriad of personalities and quirks, family-oriented people tend to share common traits.
Family-oriented people have a tendency to:
- Think about others before they think about themselves. Do you stop to think about how your choices and actions will affect someone else?
- Don’t shy away from commitment. Are you able to commit to a relationship, a person, a job, etc.?
- Make quality time with their loved ones a priority. Do you make time for your family in your day-to-day schedule? Are you really present with them during this time and giving them your full attention?
- Show affection and compassion for others. Do you genuinely care about other people? Are you able to empathize with others and put yourself in their shoes?
- Practice self-care. Do you take time for yourself? Do you value yourself and know that you’re worth your own time and energy?
- Communicate in a positive way. Do you talk things through rationally and calmly with people? Are you able to maintain a positive attitude when you interact with others, even if the situation is complicated?
- Show lots of loyalty. Are you honest and loyal to those you have made promises to? Do you stick by what you say and follow through with what you promise?
What Is The Opposite Of Being Family-Oriented?
If you’re not family-oriented, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, everyone’s situation is different. For example, some people might find their family situation toxic and want to distance themselves from it. For others, it might stem from how they were raised and the values they learned growing up.
Being family-oriented is a personal choice, and since it’s a choice, it means you can decide if you will be family-oriented or not. People who aren’t family-oriented tend to:
- Spend more time alone or with friends and colleagues instead of family.
- Don’t prioritize going to significant family events.
- Might focus a lot on work or their own hobbies.
- May plan to do things with family, but cancel if something else comes along.
- Have trouble discussing critical situations or concerns with family members.
Read more: What Are The Family-Oriented Synonyms & Antonyms?
Is It Harder To Be Family-Oriented Today Then It Was Back Then?
For many, the concept of being family-oriented is anything but black-and-white in today’s modern world. Let’s face it, things like technology, societal changes, growing health issues, and political divisiveness weigh heavy on people’s minds. Mix it all with the usual pressures of work, finances, taking care of your home, and everything else, and you have quite the full plate.
Unfortunately, many people become so stressed and focused on these other matters, they sometimes lose track of their priorities. For example, you might become so stressed about your current financial situation that you dive headfirst into your job. You push and push, hoping for a raise, a new opportunity, something. But, in the midst, you start spending less time with your family.
Or, you become so wrapped up in social media, you completely lose track of time. Before you know it, you’ve lost an hour scrolling through Facebook or watching Tik Tok videos.
So, it’s understandable to say that the modern world presents some unique challenges to being family-oriented. But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. You just have to be more aware of your priorities and make being family-oriented an active choice.
What If You Didn’t Grow Up In A Family-Oriented Environment?
If you didn’t spend a lot of time with your family growing up, embracing the concept could be a struggle. However, how you grew up doesn’t need to dictate how you live today if you don’t want it to. It’s true; you will likely need to make more conscious choices and efforts than someone who grew up in a family-oriented atmosphere. But, if you sincerely want to improve in this area of your life, then you’re on the right track.
Do You Want To Be More Family-Oriented?
Being family-oriented isn’t something you either have, or you don’t. If you’re struggling with some of these concepts or have a desire to be more family-oriented, you can do it. You can always strive to make changes to help you become more family-focused.
6 Ways To Become Family-Oriented
Are you ready to start practicing the steps that will help you put your family at the center of your priorities? Here are 6 key ways to make the shift toward being a more family-oriented person.
1. Take Care Of Yourself
Yes, it might sound counterintuitive; focus on yourself to focus more on your family? But, it’s vital.
You know the classic saying, you can’t take care of someone else if you can’t take care of yourself? Think about it. If you’re burnt out because you never take time to recharge, then you’ll be too exhausted for family time.
Therefore, make sure to do something every day that helps you recharge your batteries. Get plenty of rest, exercise, make healthy food choices. All of these things are not only good for you, but they’ll help make you a better person for your family.
2. When You’re With Your Family, Be There 100%
Sometimes you can get caught in the trap of thinking you’re family-oriented because you’re around your family a lot. But, what if you spend most of that time on your phone, trying to complete last-minute tasks, or thinking about your grocery list?
In that case, you might be there physically, but you aren’t genuinely there mentally or emotionally. To truly be family-oriented means that the time you spend with your family is quality time. So, put down the phone, close the laptop, calm your mind, and be 100% present with your loved ones.
3. Add Family Time To Your Schedule
Yes, everyone has a full calendar these days, stuffed with commitments and to-do items. But, make sure some of the things on your calendar involve spending time with family.
Don’t leave family time to chance. When you schedule specific times to be together, it helps keep you accountable. You don’t have to plan some elaborate party or event, just pencil in some hang-out time.
Of course, the most important part about this step is once you set the date, don’t flake. Stick to your commitment and keep the appointment.
4. Be An Active Listener
One of the characteristics of a family-oriented person is being a positive communicator. Well, a significant part of communication is listening. When your loved one talks to you, give them your full attention. Make eye contact, respond to what they say, and let them know you hear them.
Stay calm and focus on the person talking, nothing else. Keep your body relaxed and focused, too. Nothing says “I’m not interested” more than a closed-off posture, constant glances in the other direction, and a fidgety demeanor.
5. Show Your Family You Love Them
Telling someone you love them is great, but showing them is even better. You know how it goes; actions speak louder than words. So, hug your loved ones, hold their hand, pat them on the back, run an errand for them, or help them with their chores.
Understanding how someone thinks about love can go a long way in making them feel genuinely cared for. A great way to show love is by getting to know your family member’s different love languages. Dr. Gary Chapman discusses how everyone interprets and shows love differently.
For example, you might interpret positive affirmations as signs of love, but your spouse might need more physical touch. Your parents might show their love by buying gifts, but your brother might show his love through acts of service.
When you know your loved one’s love language, you can act accordingly to express your love. Therefore, you might bring your parents some fresh flowers, give your spouse a hug, and help your brother move some furniture.
6. Engage In Family-Oriented Activities
When you get some free time, plan some events and outings that make it easy to spend time with family. Doing things together can help others develop their own desire to be more family-oriented. Here are a few ideas for family-oriented activities to inspire you:
- Help out a family member on a project, whether it’s organizing their home, fixing their car, or planting flowers.
- Schedule regular family dinners throughout the month.
- Visit out-of-town family members on the weekend or during a holiday.
- Take family vacations or plan a staycation together.
- Make it a priority to attend milestone moments like a wedding, baptism, graduation, etc.
- Offer to babysit younger siblings, nieces or nephews, grandchildren, etc.
- Plan an annual family reunion.
- Have family game nights or movie nights.
- Attend a family member’s sporting event, dance recital, school play, etc.
How Does Being Family-Oriented Make You A Better Person?
One of the major benefits of being a more family-oriented person is that it reaches into all aspects of your life. The qualities you need to be family-oriented also make you more successful in your career and romantic relationships. Plus, you also have a higher sense of self-worth and confidence.
1. Being Family-Oriented Makes You Stronger Emotionally
You’ll have more self-confidence, better mental health, and feel more fulfilled in life. When challenges come your way, you’ll feel more capable of dealing with them. Plus, taking time for yourself makes you happier and healthier overall.
2. Being Family-Oriented Improves Your Professional Life
The qualities that make you family-oriented are also highly-sought professional skills. For example, strong communication abilities, empathizing with others, resolving conflicts, and understanding various perspectives are fantastic resumé material.
3. Being Family-Oriented Makes You A Better Partner Or Spouse
The selflessness and commitment it takes to be family-oriented translate well into romantic relationships. Loyalty is an integral part of any relationship, as are showing compassion and affection to others.
Being Family-Oriented Is A Choice
It’s not a done deal if you’re not family-oriented. Since being family-oriented is a choice, it means you can become as family-focused as you want to be. However, it takes work and a commitment to both yourself and your family.
Are you ready to make family a priority in your life? If you’re ready to become a more family-oriented individual, we have the resources you need. Making the decision is the first step.
