“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” – Lao Tzu
Experiencing stress, isolation, loss, or systemic social inequities is harmful to the health of Americans. Improving emotional well-being through research-based health promotion and prevention is critical to population health, according to the Center for Prevention and Disease Control.
Emotional well-being is your ability to produce positive emotions, moods, thoughts, and feelings, and adapt when confronted with adversity and stressful situations. It is your ability to understand the value of your emotions and use them to move your life forward in positive directions.
Emotional well-being allows you to focus on the positive, and manage the negative emotions and feelings you may have in a given situation. This can help you forge stronger relationships with those around you.
Strong emotional well-being means you’re prepared to face events that may or may not be in your control. When faced with a challenging situation, you might use one of these strategies to bring yourself into a frame of mind that allows you to manage your emotions.
Your range of emotions—and how you manage them—influences your emotional health. Here are ways you can control and improve your emotional well-being:
- Move your body. Do some sort of physical activity every 90 minutes. Exercise. Dance. Fold laundry. Weather permitting, get outside. Walk around the block. Run. Visit a park.
- Establish a routine. Create a schedule that balances the work you do with the life you want. Set time for your meetings. Block space to set goals. Create room to read. Cook a new dish. Listen to music.
- Connect with others. Love on your family. Check in with those who support you. Ask for help. Learn something out of your comfort zone. Spend time with someone who you respect.
- Forgive. Forgive others and forgive yourself. Forgiveness frees you to keep your power. Forgiveness opens the path to live in the moment. Forgiveness allows for growth and happiness.
- Do something for others. Offer to do something for someone you know or don’t know, for which you cannot be repaid. Pick up groceries for a neighbor. Volunteer online. Send a thank you note.
- Sleep. Healthy sleep gives your body the chance to repair itself. Sleep refreshes your brain to manage your memories and process information. You wake up in a better mood.
- Be kind to yourself. What gives you joy? Where are you most at peace? When do you have space to be you? As you are kind to yourself, you will want to extend that kindness beyond yourself.
- Be self-aware. Notice the thoughts, actions, habits, and character traits that serve you well. And when you spot what needs to change, you’ll be ready. You will simply know.
- Gratitude. Gratitude is about being thankful for the things you have in your life right now. It is, according to Harvard Medical School, “a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives … As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals–whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.”
Final thoughts on emotional well-being
You become stronger emotionally as you encounter and master any situation. Whenever you have doubts, and you will, remember that you have everything you need to take care of your emotional well-being.
Expressing your thanks can enhance and improve your overall sense of emotional and overall well-being. Grateful people are more agreeable, more open, and less neurotic according to research completed in the past several decades.
References:
- https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/
- https://www.betterup.com/blog/what-is-emotional-well-being
- https://www.cdc.gov/populationhealth/well-being/index.htm