Emotional Wellness

 

People talk about health and well-being all the time. Nutritional advice is exchanged. The "must-do" list is expanded to include exercises.

Additionally, physical examinations are planned to maintain your health. However, what about mental health? Do you routinely follow up on that? Does it get put aside instead? 

Unfortunately, emotional well-being is often neglected and does not receive the same emphasis as physical fitness.

To live a long, happy life, you should take into account all facets of well-being since health is more than simply physical well-being.

In this post, we are going to examine some strategies for maintaining your mental health. Let's dive in!

What does "emotional wellness" mean?

Your capacity to manage your emotions is referred to as emotional wellness, one of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness. It's the knowledge and consciousness of your current emotional state. Your emotions might have an impact on your capacity to handle day-to-day difficulties and do your regular tasks. It might impact your relationships as well. How you manage life stressors and adjust to everyday circumstances and challenging life events is a measure of your emotional well-being.

Related: What are the Eight Dimensions of wellness?

The impact of poor emotional well-being:

On the other hand, poor mental health may affect practically every aspect of your life. Other health issues might arise if you are mentally ill:

Mental health conditions:

Anxiety, depression, and stress-related illness may be more likely to occur in those who are not emotionally healthy. One study, for example, discovered that future depression risk is significantly predicted by well-being.

Lack of emotional control:

Dysregulation, or the inability to control and manage different emotions, can lead to mood swings, irritation, and feelings of overload.

Poor self-esteem:

Feelings of inadequacy and poor self-esteem can also result from low emotional well-being, and these factors can raise the risk of mental illness.

Substance abuse or dependence:

If you have an untreated mental disorder, you may be more susceptible to addiction. Likewise, drug abuse can negatively impact mood regulation, which is a fundamental component of emotional well-being.

Ways to improve your emotional wellness:

Invent yourself:

You are shaped by your surroundings and have specific traits, abilities, and tendencies. But eventually, you have to ask yourself, "Okay, this is how I want to be now, but this is what is original to me, and this is how I have been formed." By choosing to become someone who will suffer less emotional anguish, someone who is more composed, less judgmental, less egoistic, more productive, less self-abusive, and so forth, you may lessen your emotional distress.

Protect your positivity:

Our ideas are the biggest source of mental suffering. We need to do a better job than we typically do of recognizing the thoughts that aren't helpful to us, challenging them, insisting that they leave, and replacing them with more beneficial ones.

Serving yourself emotional distress is the same as thinking thoughts that are not helpful to you. Only you can acquire a grasp on your own thoughts; if you don't perform this job, you will live in pain.

Related: Protect your positivity

Let meaning trump mood:

You have the option to determine that the meaning you create matters more to you than the state of mind you're in. You say something like "I have my business to build" or "I have my novel to write" instead of "I am blue today."

You begin each day by telling yourself exactly how you plan to make the most of it, how you plan to handle everyday tasks and chores, how you plan to unwind, or, to put it simply, how you want to spend your day. You view everything, both the rich and the ordinary, as the project of your life, one that you are living with grace and in a positive manner. By focusing more on your aims and less on your emotions, you can lessen your emotional suffering.

The 5 stages of emotional healing:

Denial, anger, bargaining, despair, and acceptance are the 5 phases of recovery. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross initially presented these phases in her 1969 book "On Death and Dying," and they have since been used to describe the emotional healing process.

Denial: During this phase, people may reject the idea that they have gone through emotional trauma. They could make an effort to ignore their emotions or minimize how serious the issue is.

Anger: After denial wears off, people may begin to feel angry at themselves or other people for the trauma they have gone through. They could experience resentment, frustration, and helplessness.

Bargaining: In order to reverse the trauma they have endured, people may attempt to bargain with themselves or a higher force at this phase. They could look for solutions or strategies to turn things around.

Depression: People may suffer intense sadness, loss, and a sense of hopelessness as they come to terms with the fact that they cannot reverse the tragedy they have endured.

Acceptance: In the last phase, people acknowledge that the trauma has occurred and start concentrating on getting better and moving on.

The process of emotional healing:

There are seven steps that make up the emotional healing process.

Prominent author and therapist John Bradshaw originally presented these stages in his book "Healing the Shame that Binds You."

Awareness: Being conscious of the emotional suffering and trauma that require healing is the first step towards emotional recovery. This entails figuring out the trauma's origin as well as identifying the emotions and actions that are upsetting.

Acknowledgment: The second stage is to recognize that the trauma and pain are a natural part of life. This entails acknowledging the existence of an issue and accepting accountability for one's own recovery.

Acceptance: Admitting that recovery is possible and making a commitment to the process constitute the third stage. This entails letting go of any uncertainties or anxieties regarding the healing process and having faith that progress is achievable.

Feel the suffering: Letting oneself experience the trauma and suffering without condemnation or avoidance is the fourth stage. This is going through the feelings and experiences associated with the trauma. even if they are unpleasant or uncomfortable.

Grieving: Acknowledging the losses resulting from the trauma and giving oneself permission to grieve them is the fifth stage. This is acknowledging what has been lost due to the trauma, including safety, trust, or a sense of self, and letting oneself grieve for these things.

Forgiveness: The sixth stage is to forgive oneself and other people for whatever hurt the trauma may have caused. This entails letting go of resentment, wrath, and blame as well as developing empathy and understanding for both oneself and other people.

Moving forward: Making a commitment to proceed with a fresh sense of direction and purpose is the last phase. This entails having a vision for the future and taking action to realize it, including goal-setting, getting help, and partaking in activities that foster recovery and development.

Final words

No matter how obvious it may seem, your emotional well-being has a significant impact on your overall mental health and fitness. This fact is true for everyone, but it can be more harmful for those who suffer from illness and mental health conditions.

If you can recognize and control your emotions, you will be better able to deal with your own mental health problems as you discover answers.