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Family rituals are important, and are very wide-ranging in their nature. These can be as simple as sharing breakfast together.

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Spending quality time together is a great way to build and maintain friendships with others.

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It builds on shared interests as well as creating opportunities to have fun and laugh together.

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It's not about the amount of time you spend together, but instead the quality of your interactions that count.

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Quality time helps to strengthen the foundations of the family and a young person's life.

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Make family sit-downs more personal by turning off the television and computer and playing a board game together.

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For two people, all these experiences help to create closeness and exclusivity in couple relationships. But what about spending quality time in solitude?

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For couples, quality time can be spent in so many different ways. Try and arrange an activity that's new and a bit different. Hey, why not rent a tandem and go for a ride?

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Getting together to cook favorite meals, or to experiment with new recipe ideas, is a hugely rewarding family experience.

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Exercising together is always good fun, whether casually at home or in an organized gym environment. Either way, working out in pairs is enjoyable, and the results can be amazing!

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Kids are always a good excuse to seek quality time, and making a meaningful connection with your children is important. Be sure to play with your child, even if it is just for a few minutes.

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Picking and reading a short book before bed time is a great way to stay connected. It's also educative, and naturally induces sleepiness.

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If you're a couple, you can find your own ways to enjoy quality time together. Can you recall when and where you first met? If so, why not revisit your first date together. Can you remember what the other was wearing? Who spoke the opening line? Take a walk down memory lane and relive that special moment.

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Enjoy social moments together with your best and most trusted friends. Or reconnect with old buddies for a special occasion.

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And what about that great standby: the vacation. Long holidays together are fine. But the occasional weekend getaway can be equally rewarding. Pick a destination you both want to see, and hit the gas running.

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Taking care of children is always rewarding, but can often be exhaustive. Pass the baton to the grandparents now and again by planning special get-togethers with the older generation.

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In fact, the family activity with the greatest positive impact on children is sitting down together to dinner each evening. And keep it simple! Preparing basic but nutritious meals frees up some time in the evening for togetherness, and it avoids long spells washing up.

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A quick note of caution. It's fine to check your notifications occasionally while you're together. But making a habit of checking your cell phone will come across as an expression of disinterest.

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It may not seem so, but spending quality time alone is essential to your well-being.

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Enjoying moments of solitude allow you to reconnect with yourself.

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Being on your own serves as time where you can listen to your own thoughts and feelings.

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Dreams, goals, and ambitions are often uncovered in moments of solitude, when the mindset is unsullied by the distractions and expectations of others.

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Spending a few hours of quality time a week in your own company can help clear your mind of any stress and anxiety.

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Furthermore, embracing solitude can help you achieve a state of calmness otherwise impossible when surrounded by people.

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Enjoying quality time together depends on a number of things, one of which is about maintaining eye contact. It tells your partner that they have your full attention, which will make them feel loved, cherished, and understood.

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Paying attention to your partner may sound a tad obvious. But by actively listening to them during conversation, you can both enhance the quality time spent in each other's company.

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There are many other ways of spending quality time. For example, giving up a few hours to help in the community can be hugely rewarding. Volunteering for a good cause— assisting at a food bank, for example—is quality time in itself, where you're interacting with like-minded individuals for a common goal.

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And achieving quality time can be met through self-improvement. Learning a new language or practicing a skill works wonders for confidence and self-esteem. Activities like these also build on necessary social skills.

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And don't forget: affording yourself some quality time can bring with it unexpected rewards. Finding time to pursue experiences that are unusual, thrilling, moving, or meaningful can guide you in a direction you never thought existed, anything from assisting in an animal shelter to summiting a mountain.

Sources (Psychology Today) (Care for the Family) (Psychreg)

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Or how about trying that new restaurant in town? Experiment with the menu over a glass of your favorite wine.

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Quality time refers to moments of greater value than other occasions, usually spent in the company of people who are most important to us. Setting aside time for something that is significant to your quality of life can mean getting together with close family, partners, or friends. It can also mean indulging in a spot of well-earned me time. But how best to get the most out of this vital, well-being window?

Click through for ideas of how to arrange and enjoy quality time.

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Active listening skills include focusing on what the other is saying, perhaps by leaning in slightly, or affirming what they are saying. Remember, quality time partners are more interested in feeling understood. They are invariably seeking empathy and compassion rather than a solution to any problems they may be experiencing.