“You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.” – Dan Millman
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (2020), the term emotional wellness refers to an awareness, understanding, and acceptance of our emotions, and our ability to manage them effectively through challenges and change. Emotional wellness is an important part of overall health. People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings, and are able to cope with life’s challenges. They can keep problems in perspective and bounce back from setbacks. They feel good about themselves and have good relationships. Having good emotional health is a fundamental aspect of fostering resilience, self-awareness, and overall contentment.
The implications of decreased emotional well-being are related to mental health concerns such as stress, depression, and anxiety. According to the World Health Organization, depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. These in turn can contribute to physical health concerns such as digestive disorders, sleep disturbances, and general lack of energy.
Here are 8 signs of good emotional health
1. You treat others well. Those who are emotionally well tend to be more sensitive and compassionate about the needs of others.
2. You are happy with the person you are. Emotionally healthy people feel good about themselves and have good relationships. Their outside world is a reflection of their inside world.
3. You are open-minded and flexible. People who are emotionally well can be receptive to a wide variety of viewpoints, information and ideas, and express a degree of flexibility.
4. You practice gratitude. Emotionally healthy people look at their lives with a sense of gratitude for what they have rather than focusing on what they don’t.
5. You are in touch with your emotions. Another sign of emotional wellness is that you embrace your emotions of sadness, anger, anxiety, joy, fear, excitement – as a natural and normal part of life.
6. You have meaning in your life. Emotional healthy people tend to have a clear sense of purpose about what makes their lives meaningful.
7. You value experiences more than possessions. People who place a high value on wealth, popularity, or attractiveness are less emotionally fulfilled than those who place a high value on self-fulfillment and contentment.
8. You have ways to manage stress. Those who are emotionally stable are able to maintain a balance between work and self-care.
Emotional wellness inspires self-care, relaxation, stress reduction and the development of inner strength. It is important to be attentive to both positive and negative feelings and be able to understand how to handle these emotions. Emotional wellness also includes the ability to learn and grow from experiences. Emotional well-being encourages autonomy and proper decision-making skills. It is an important part of overall wellness.
Research shows that emotional health is a skill. Being emotionally healthy means, you are aware of your emotions. You can deal with them, whether they are positive or negative. Emotionally healthy people still feel stress, anger, and sadness. But they know how to manage their negative feelings. They can tell when a problem is more than they can handle on their own. They also know when to seek help from their doctor.
Emotional wellness is what helps us create happiness. It doesn’t mean that we always feel happy, but it does mean that we can know that we are happy at our core even when we’re facing hardship. Emotional wellness is the foundation of success, however we define success. Commonly, people feel that they will achieve emotional health once they’re successful. The exact opposite is true: by focusing on our emotional well-being, we put ourselves in a better position to achieve the goals we set for ourselves.
Finally, emotional wellness is choosing how you will respond to the things that happen to you and the thoughts you have about them. It’s choosing and deciding how you will live your life. It’s knowing that you can make great moments even on bad days. Emotional wellness is the foundation upon which we build a quality life.
Sources
Smith, M. (n.d.). Building Better Mental Health. Retrieved June 27, 2020, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/building-better-mental-health.htm
Lamothe, C. (2019, June 14). Emotional Health: Why It’s as Important as Physical Health. Retrieved June 27, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/emotional-health
University of California. (n.d.). Emotional Wellness. Retrieved June 27, 2020, from https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/wellness/emotional
American Academy of Family Physicians. (2020, June 23). Mental Health: Keeping Your Emotional Health. Retrieved June 27, 2020, from https://familydoctor.org/mental-health-keeping-your-emotional-health/
Peterson, T. (2018). What Is Emotional Wellness? Retrieved June 27, 2020, from https://www.healthyplace.com/self-help/self-help-information/what-emotional-wellness