“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
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Mahatma Gandhi
Sometimes, it feels like we are the only person in the world who is struggling with our emotions. But, how should you engage your emotions in a way that will prompt less stress while actively engaging your future? In this article, I explore 7 areas to help make your life a little less stressful. I focus on how to use your e-motions as a source of energy in motion so that you can realize your full potential and advance confidently in the direction of your dreams!
I-llness spelled with a We equals Wellness
Emotional wellness can feel unattainable because of how often we turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with challenging feelings- but there are ways that you can encourage emotional health for yourself and others around you.
A healthy emotional state starts by recognizing what is and is not in your control. We begin to give up control by learning practical coping skills rather than emotional avoidance. By engaging in practical self-care techniques such as mindfulness or exercise, we practice those self-care techniques that encourage an overall healthy lifestyle. Remember, E-Motion stands for Energy in Motion, and when it lays stagnant, it atrophies.
Another primary source of emotional health is empathy. This allows us to see what it is like to be in another’s shoes. By understanding others, we naturally begin to understand the emotions we go through at a deeper level. This encourages self-growth through understanding that we are not alone in this journey called life.
At its foundation, we must engage emotions directly to find the knowledge present in their energy flow and keep moving forward at all costs. We create an internal environment that fosters emotional and psychological well-being by avoiding avoidance and engaging emotions directly. By identifying unhealthy stress management practices and shifting these into healthy coping skills, we learn to be more grounded in our being, creating an optimal environment for wellness to occur.
Take Control
I recognize what is and is not in my control?
An important way of encouraging emotional well-being is recognizing what is can and is not under our control. As the Serenity Prayer goes:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”[1]
Emotional wellness is about having the strength to accept the things we cannot change and the courage to change the things we can. While we can’t always change what happens to us, we can change our response by adopting an attitude of letting go of the things we cannot control. So, instead of letting the situation take over your thoughts or actions, when something terrible happens, you can better cope by simply accepting things and finding movement within the lessons present. Remember, there is no such thing as a failure, only a lesson not learned.
Learn Effective Lifestyle Skills (Don’t just Cope)
Another important way of encouraging emotional well-being is to learn coping skills. Emotional wellness includes learning healthy ways of managing stress- not just unhealthy ones. Unhealthy coping skills are self-explanatory. They make you feel worse after engaging in them than if you approached a more healthy coping skill in the first place. The can include addictions to alcohol or drugs, sex, binge eating, binge spending, or other self-destructive habits. Reflect for one moment. Are any of these present in your life? If so, is there a way to replace them with more healthy coping skills?
How are healthy ways you can manage your stress level? Are you eating in a manner that feels healthy to you, or are you battling with a healthy diet and the bulge? Do you engage in areas of nurturing development such as hobbies, social clubs, travel, art, writing, or committing to those things that make your life pleasurable? If not, what is holding you back? This is the area to focus your energies on adopting more healthy lifestyle skills.
How to Decompress Emotionally
To encourage emotional wellness, it is also essential to find ways to decompress emotionally. Emotional health includes taking time for yourself to be present and engaged at the moment – not replaying past hurts or worrying about future events.
For many people, exercise provides a form of physical release which helps them to feel more relaxed. You can also use yoga, mindfulness meditation, or even a good old-fashioned cry to help yourself feel better emotionally. Empathy for others is another way to encouraging emotional well-being as it allows us to see the world through someone else’s eyes before we judge them.
Develop Empathy Towards Others
Empathy is an important way of encouraging emotional wellness because it allows us to see the world through someone else’s eyes before judging them. Empathy helps you understand why people do what they do and provides a better understanding of our relationships with others.
Another thing that can encourage emotional well-being is practicing self-compassion. This means treating yourself just as you would someone you care about. Empathy is a two-way streak. You must provide yourself the same care and loving kindness that you do for others. Emotional wellness is closely tied to this form of self-compassion. It teaches us to be kinder and gentler on ourselves to build and nurture kinder and gentler relationships with others.
Avoid Avoidance
Another important way of encouraging emotional well-being is to avoid avoidance. Emotional wellness includes learning how to better cope with stressors in your life- not avoiding them altogether. Those who live a lifestyle that avoids all forms of stress, frustration, worry, disappointment, and sadness often find themselves at risk for something worse down the line (i.e., depression, anxiety, or emotional breaks when faced with external stressors). Emotional wellness is about finding healthy ways to express our feelings, not to avoid them. It’s also essential for us to talk with others when we need a sounding board, not just internalize everything as if these things happen in isolation.
Engage Emotions
Emotional well-being encourages engagement- being present and mindful of how we feel in the moment. To be healthy emotionally is a way of being that enables you to empathize with others, be kinder to yourself and those around you, and live life with intentionality- even when things may be going wrong.
By effectively managing our emotions, we learn how to see the positives in adverse events and control our futures by focusing on the gifts attainable in the present moment.
What stands in the way of living your optimal emotional life? What small changes can you make to advance confidently towards your future?
Namaste, my friends. May blessings find you on your journey to advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.
Bibliography
Shapiro, Fred R. (April 28, 2014). “Who Wrote the Serenity Prayer?”. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
