Youโre probably wondering what is emotional wellness and how to maintain it. Emotional health is subjective to each individual, it can be defined in many ways. You may, however, begin to grasp emotional health in terms of your ideas, feelings, and actions, as well as how to sustain it.
Studies have shown that emotional wellness leads to happiness. Hereโs how.
October is Emotional Wellness Month and emotional wellness is critical to our well-being and health. Mental health is one of todayโs major health challenges, as approximately one in five individuals suffers from a mental health episode each year.
Emotional wellness is a term often used in spiritual circles, and it can often serve to fend off mental challenges, but what is it, and what does it really mean to be emotionally well?
What Is Emotional Wellness?
According to the National Center for Emotional Wellness, the term refers to an awareness, understanding, and acceptance of your emotions, and your ability to manage effectively through challenges and change. When youโre tuned into your feelings, then you can more easily become aware of your bodily sensations.
The more you act on your feelings and emotions, the more reliable they become. Remaining in the present moment and adhering to a sense of mindfulness, without looking back too much into the past or the future, is also very important for your emotional well-being.
Being emotionally well encourages you to slow down and fosters the practice of mindfulness. Being emotionally well doesnโt necessarily mean that youโre happy all the time, but rather, that youโre self-aware and able to shift as a way to feel better. Being emotionally well leads to a happier and more blissful life, and also allows you the opportunity to attain your full potential.
For the most part, being human means having challenges and problems; however, itโs all about how you deal or cope with those issues that determines your emotional wellness. Itโs also about embracing all the goodness in your life and looking at your glass as half-full rather than half-empty.
Related: The Number One Ingredient to Live a Healthy Life
Here are some questions to help you ascertain if youโre maintaining a sense of emotional wellness:
- How do you treat others in your life, both personally and professionally? Those who are emotionally well tend to be more sensitive and compassionate about the needs of others, and in general, are more spiritually generous.
- Are you grateful? Emotionally healthy people feel gratitude for their lives and for all the goodness they experience. Theyโre appreciative of what they do have rather than bemoaning what they do not have. They usually count all their lifeโs blessings, and this does not always pertain to money or material objects, but rather, relates to more spiritual aspects of their lives.
- Are you happy with the person you are? Those who are emotionally healthy are usually content with themselves. They might feel as if theyโre living the lives theyโve always wanted to live. They also take care of themselves physically and psychologically by doing what is beneficial for them. And, theyโre rarely complainers, but instead, might be seekers who are often trying to become better people and help those around them do the same. They might also engage in positive self-talk.
- Are you open-minded and flexible? This means that youโre self-aware and listen to the thoughts and musings of yourself and others. Also, you do not feel attached to any particular dogma or philosophy but are willing to hear the viewpoints and musings of others.
- Do you have a life purpose? Those who do generally have a well-developed sense of well-being because they have a reason to wake up in the morning. They also have a tendency to see lifeโs bigger picture. They tend to know their core values, whatโs most important to them, and how to focus on those values. Their purpose gives life meaning, whether itโs professional, family oriented, or community oriented.
- Do you have ways to manage your stress? Those who are emotionally stable have their own ways of navigating the stressors in their lives, whether itโs meditation, exercise, talk therapy, or creative pursuits such as art, music, or writing. Theyโre able to maintain a balance between work and play.
Related: 15 Simple Ways You Can Boost Your Emotional Health
In general, maintaining a sense of well-being in our everyday lives can relate to both the positive and negative activities in our daily routines (Garling, Gamble, Fors, Hjerm, 2014). Positive well-being leads to happiness, whereas negative well-being tends to lead to depression and mental challenges.
If we all try to maintain a good sense of emotional wellness, then this world will definitely be a better place, but it takes a group effort, and thereโs no time like the present to begin!
There are many tips on how to improve emotional wellness but some of the most important ones include being physically active, connecting with other people and managing stress in a healthy manner.
References
Fiorcco, A, and S. Mallya. (2014). โThe Importance of Cultivating Mindfulness for Cognitive and Emotional Well-Being in Late Life.โ Journal of Evidence-Based Internal Medicine.
Garling, G., Gamble, A, Fl Fors & M. Hjerm. (2014). โEmotional Well-Being Related to Time Pressure, Impediment to Goal Progress and Stress-Related Symptoms. Journal of Happiness Studies. 7(15), pp. 2789โ1799.
Lerner, M. (2019). The Center for Emotional Wellness, Inc.
Vaughan, F. (1998). Mental, Emotional and Body-Based Intuition. In Inner Knowing by H. Palmer, Ed. New York, NY: Jeremy P. Tarcher, pp. 185โ194.
Related: 5 Things That Are Self Care And 5 Things That Are Not
Written by: Diana Raab Ph.D. Originally appeared on: Psychology Today Republished with permission
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I improve my emotional wellness?
There are many tips on how to improve emotional wellness but some of the most important ones include being physically active, connecting with other people and managing stress in a healthy manner.
What are the factors of emotional wellness?
Environmental factors, relationships, physical health, self-awareness, and stress can have an impact on emotional wellness.
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