A lot of people make a New Year’s resolution to live healthier. They make it a goal to eat better, lose weight, exercise more, or rest better. These are all positive goals that can increase physical health. However, I would like to suggest pursuing growth in an additional area that will influence physical health as well: relationships.

Our relationships have been shown time and again to have a huge impact on our physical health. People who have positive relationships tend to live longer, healthier lives in part by buffering stress. They are also less likely to experience cardiovascular disease or have a stroke. People who have healthy marital relationships tolerate pain more effectively. They are even less likely to develop a cold after being exposed to a virus. The impact of relationships on our physical health goes on. In fact, it may make the perfect New Year’s resolution: improve my relationships with family and friends over the coming year. Here are 4 ways to consider:

• Institute a family night once a week in your home. The best place to begin building relationships is in the home. You can enhance your family relationships by developing family activities. For instance, you can enjoy family game nights, family movie nights, family dinners, or any number of other family activities. These activities allow you time to strengthen and deepen family relationships.
• Enjoy time with other families. Spending time with other families offers so many opportunities for building positive relationships as well as sharing advice in times of need, comforting and supporting one another through challenging times, and just having fun together.
• Join a community to build new relationships. You can join any number of groups to make friends: a reading group, a choir, a language learning group, a sport’s club, or your local congregation. The possibilities for group involvement are infinite. Check out the MeetUp app if you’re stuck on finding a group that is focused on your interests. This will provide you with the opportunity to meet people and develop relationships with people who have similar relationships.
• Set healthy boundaries. It might seem counterintuitive, but boundaries and limits also help develop healthy relationships. Limits allow us to maintain healthy relationships of mutual giving and mutual respect. Without boundaries we may find ourselves in relationships that are overdemanding without offering any reciprocation. As a result, you may find yourself “burned out,” irritable, and in need of time alone. Establishing healthy boundaries contributes to healthy relationships that reciprocally support and comfort all parties involved.

These four practices can help you and your family develop the relationships that lead to a longer, healthier life for you and your family.