How to Improve Your Emotional Well Being

Emotional wellness deals with accepting and exploring who you are to maintain and attain emotional balance and well being. Anything that affects our emotions, affects our health.

For example, repressed emotions(especially those that could be considered shameful or distressing) can drain your mental energy and hit your overall health so hard but emotions that are freely expressed without repressions, oils our soul which results in a stronger and well balanced emotional and mental health. So,  It’s important we recognize the effects of our emotions, thoughts and feelings on our overall well being. 

Your body responds to your thoughts and feelings and that’s why negative thoughts and emotions affect our health(body) negatively. For example, Stress (or negative thoughts) can worsen physical illness, Fear can lead to an increase in certain chemicals that prepare us through the “fight or flight” response and Thoughts start chain reactions that allow us to contract our muscles. Even the bible said in proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is” your whole being responds to your thoughts.

You will have to learn how to manage and balance both positive and negative emotions because you won’t always be happy. Sometimes you’re going to feel stress, anger, and sadness. But you have to know how to manage those negative feelings. So, being emotionally healthy requires you to be aware of your emotions and feelings and knowing how to manage and balance both your positive and negative emotions. Also, knowing when to seek help when the problem is more than you can handle. 

According to family doctor, you can improve your emotional health by taking note of the following

• Be aware of your emotions and reactions. Notice what in your life makes you sad, frustrated, or angry. Try to address or change those things.
• Express your feelings in appropriate ways. Let people close to you know when something is bothering you. Keeping feelings of sadness or anger inside adds to stress. It can cause problems in your relationships and at work or school.
• Think before you act. Give yourself time to think and be calm before you say or do something you might regret.
• Manage stress. Learn relaxation methods to cope with stress. These could include deep breathing, meditation, and exercise.
• Strive for balance. Find a healthy balance between work and play, and between activity and rest. Make time for things you enjoy. Focus on positive things in your life.
• Take care of your physical health. Exercise regularly, eat healthy meals, and get enough sleep. Don’t abuse drugs or alcohol. Keep your physical health from affecting your emotional health.
• Connect with others. Make a lunch date, join a group, and say hi to strangers. We need positive connections with other people.
• Find purpose and meaning. Figure out what’s important to you in life, and focus on that. This could be your work, your family, volunteering, caregiving, or something else. Spend your time doing what feels meaningful to you.
• Stay positive. Focus on the good things in your life. Forgive yourself for making mistakes and forgive others. Spend time with healthy, positive people

9 Characteristics of Emotionally Well People by Grand Valley State University.

• Self-Awareness: look at self to navigate distress or elation and redirect emotions if necessary

• Self-Acceptance: Accept themselves. Know when to provide room for themselves to process emotions.

• Self-Care: Both self-compassion and physical care are practiced regularly

• Emotional Agility: Able to thrive even during emotional setbacks.

• Coping Skills: Practice makes perfect so when you need them you can use them.

• Kindness; They approach those around them with compassion.

• Integrity: They move through the world without the expectation of reward.

• Living with Purpose: Focus on how their experiences serve others rather than getting stuck within them.

• Manage stress: They can recognize stress and have go-to activities/skills to manage it.