How To Improve Emotional Health
Having good emotional health will help us better manage our reactions in stressful contexts. People often focus on physical health, neglecting the importance of maintaining an emotional balance to better respond to challenging situations.
Emotional health, for some authors, is “the responsible management of feelings, thoughts and behaviors.” This definition implies being able to recognize everything we feel and think, give it a name, accept it and integrate it into our lives.
Those in good mental health have the ability to assertively control their feelings; Also, they have good self-esteem, as well as personal relationships. On the contrary, emotional imbalances can lead to health disorders such as anxiety disorder or major depression, as some studies indicate.
This occurs because the reactions of sadness, anxiety, anger or depression reach high levels of intensity that are maintained over time and produce changes in behavior. This leads people to forget healthy habits, which increases the risk of developing addictive behaviors or that put general health at risk. How to increase emotional health?
How to improve emotional health
According to a publication from the Higher Institute for Psychological Studies (ISEP), having good emotional health is reflected in an increase in general well-being. It is important to understand that all emotions are desirable, since they fulfill certain goals in our life.
Therefore, although certain emotions are classified as negative and undesirable, it is important to learn to manage them properly, without trying to repress them. This translates into better emotional health and less tendency to stress, anxiety, depression, among other disorders.
What can we do to improve emotional health? In reality there are small adjustments that help train our mind to handle the emotional part more appropriately. In the following space we detail some general recommendations.
Recognize emotions
Learn to recognize our emotions and distinguish what makes us feel frustrated, angry or sad. As we discussed, we are not going to try to repress them, but we will seek to accept that they are part of us and that for some reason we are experiencing them.
Express feelings
The expression of feelings is synonymous with good emotional health. If we feel discomfort and this causes us tension, we could have difficulties – whether at work or at home – if we do not express what we feel appropriately.
Think first and then act
This is necessary, since the intensity of the emotions can lead us to act improperly, having to regret the consequences in the future. To avoid this , it is best to think about the results that could occur after our way of acting.
Apply relaxation techniques
As detailed in a publication in the medical journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine , meditation techniques are resources with positive effects when it comes to managing stress. Therefore, it is convenient to adopt options such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga or others.
Take a time
Living in a hurry is one of the reasons why we are immersed in states of stress and anxiety. Therefore, it is good to take some time, live calmly and enjoy those things that are simple, but that fill us with fullness and help us feel happy.
Get enough rest
Poor quality of sleep, coupled with a hectic lifestyle, greatly affects your mood. Due to this, it is essential to sleep well, at least 7 hours a day without interruptions, and to take active breaks during the day.
Establish positive connections with others
We must try to get away from conflictive relationships. If we surround ourselves with people who add, our emotional health improves dramatically. In addition, we ourselves must focus on the positive things, avoiding remaining in the complaint.
Positive relationships also emerge when we do things that help others. We cannot always think individually because many times being good with oneself means acting in favor of the other.
Learn new things
Without losing curiosity about all the good things the world has for us, we can learn new languages, start a new book, sign up for a course, among others.
Every human being is different, as well as their needs. However, in order for all of us to be well, it is necessary to work on the emotional health of each one of us.
