October is Emotional Wellness Month, and as we head into shorter days, it’s a great time to give ourselves some extra mental and emotional support.
Emotional wellness falls under the holistic view of wellbeing as one of several factors affecting overall health. The other dimensions or factors that affect overall health and wellbeing include physical, mental, spiritual, social, financial, occupational, and intellectual wellness.
This article will explore:
What emotional wellness is
Why emotional wellness is important
The signs of emotional wellness
The signs someone is struggling with emotional wellness
Tips to support emotional wellness
What is emotional wellness?
According to the National Center for Emotional Wellness, emotional wellness “refers to an awareness, understanding, and acceptance of our feelings, and our ability to manage effectively through challenges and change.”
Emotional wellness impacts how you handle life’s stresses, adapt to change, and bounce back from difficult times, and it can have a protective effect against mental health issues.
Being emotionally well doesn’t mean you’re happy all the time; instead, it means you have the self-awareness, emotional processing tools, and confidence you need to help you return to a state of inner balance and wellbeing.
When you feel emotionally well, you feel more in control of your emotions and are more likely to have a positive outlook on life.
Why is emotional wellness important?
Emotional wellness is essential because it can affect your mindset, how you interact with others, and how you function and carry out everyday tasks. Think back to a time when you felt emotionally overwhelmed and how crippling it felt – small tasks seem insurmountable, your ability to focus out the window, and meeting the expectations of others feels exhausting. By focusing on your emotional wellbeing regularly, you become better at handling difficult moments, juggling multiple priorities, and controlling your emotional responses. In doing so, it goes on to positively affect your mental health, relationships, and your ability to show up in life as your best self.
Emotional wellness impacts:
Physical and mental health
Relationships
Mindset
Your success in life
The Signs of Emotional Wellness
Having the ability to recognize your triggers and emotions and respond to them appropriately
Feeling at peace and content most of the time
Feeling present in your life and the things you do
Having a healthy self-esteem
Having the ability to feel and process your emotions
Being able to recognize what you need to help restore peace of mind
Having the ability to talk to others about how you feel
Having the resilience to bounce back from difficult times
Taking pride in caring for your mind, body, and spirit
Being comfortable setting boundaries and saying “no” to things that don’t align
Having positive relationships
Feeling and practicing gratitude for everything in your life
Being open-minded and adaptable
Feeling like you have a life purpose or sense of direction
Having the ability to recognize your triggers and emotions and respond to them appropriately
Feeling at peace and content most of the time
Feeling present in your life and the things you do
Having a healthy self-esteem
Having the ability to feel and process your emotions
Being able to recognize what you need to help restore peace of mind
Having the ability to talk to others about how you feel
Having the resilience to bounce back from difficult times
Taking pride in caring for your mind, body, and spirit
Being comfortable setting boundaries and saying “no” to things that don’t align
Having positive relationships
Feeling and practicing gratitude for everything in your life
Being open-minded and adaptable
Feeling like you have a life purpose or sense of direction
The Signs Someone Is Struggling With Their Emotional Wellness
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed or overloaded
Frequent bad moods or sadness
Lack of energy or fatigue
Negative attitudes and thoughts about life, work, or the self
Defensive reactions when confronted or criticized
Isolation or withdrawal from friends and family
Neglect of personal wellbeing
Finding it hard to meet responsibilities and expectations
Risk-taking behaviors
The development of chronic physical symptoms
Change in eating or sleeping patterns
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed or overloaded
Frequent bad moods or sadness
Lack of energy or fatigue
Negative attitudes and thoughts about life, work, or the self
Defensive reactions when confronted or criticized
Isolation or withdrawal from friends and family
Neglect of personal wellbeing
Finding it hard to meet responsibilities and expectations
Risk-taking behaviors
The development of chronic physical symptoms
Change in eating or sleeping patterns
How To Support Your Emotional Wellness
Meditation: Meditation is a mindfulness tool used to train your mind to observe your thoughts rather than engage with them. By learning to take the stance of an observer rather than a participant in your thoughts, you can learn to respond better to your emotions.
Engage in visualization: Visualization is a manifestation and mindfulness tool that can help you create a vision for an ideal future. By envisioning what you want, you feel more confident that your actions will lead you toward your desired future. Vision boarding is one of my favorite ways to visualize my future and goals!
Practice being present: Meditation is one way to find stillness in the moment; however, you can also practice being present by single-tasking and focusing on only one thing at a time. This could include getting absorbed in a task like cooking or a creative project like a coloring book page. It could also look like giving loved ones your undivided attention and creating memories together.
Manage your stress: Reflect on what triggers you to feel stressed, find ways to avoid your triggers, create systems and adopt tools to manage your emotions and responses when you inevitably encounter them.
Take care of your physical wellbeing: Physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing are intricately related to one another. Be sure to get the recommended hours of sleep, exercise, and hydration, eat nutritious foods and explore supplements from which your mind and body may benefit. Avoid eating overly processed foods, and limit your vices.
Journal: Journaling is a great way to explore your thoughts more profoundly and peel back the layers of your complex emotions. By sorting through what you feel and experience, you may reveal new information about yourself or find wisdom in how to proceed.
Practice gratitude: Expressing gratitude for even the most mundane things can help you adopt a more positive attitude. The repeated act of bringing awareness to all the good in your life will surely uplift you and help you attract more of it.
Confide in others: Sometimes, talking out your feelings aloud can help you find the clarity you’ve been looking for. Lean on the support of others, share how you feel, and communicate what you’re experiencing to build stronger connections with others.
Create a support system: Build a support system made up of friends, family, coworkers, a therapist or coach, or maybe an online community. Surround yourself with people who are positive, supportive, and loving.
Get comfortable with feeling your feelings: Thinking through your feelings isn’t the same as feeling your feelings. There is a difference, and each has a purpose. Anytime you feel an emotion coming on, observe what that feels like in your body and welcome whatever it brings without attaching thoughts or labels to it. This is feeling your feelings.
Assert your needs: No one can stand up for you the way you can. Look after your needs by setting boundaries, communicating your feelings, calling out violators, seeking support, and being transparent with others about what you need from them.
Invest time In passions: Hobbies, side hustles, or worthy causes are all passions worth spending your time on. Engaging in your passions ignites the fire inside you and boosts happiness and sense of wellbeing.
Meditation: Meditation is a mindfulness tool used to train your mind to observe your thoughts rather than engage with them. By learning to take the stance of an observer rather than a participant in your thoughts, you can learn to respond better to your emotions.
Engage in visualization: Visualization is a manifestation and mindfulness tool that can help you create a vision for an ideal future. By envisioning what you want, you feel more confident that your actions will lead you toward your desired future. Vision boarding is one of my favorite ways to visualize my future and goals!
Practice being present: Meditation is one way to find stillness in the moment; however, you can also practice being present by single-tasking and focusing on only one thing at a time. This could include getting absorbed in a task like cooking or a creative project like a coloring book page. It could also look like giving loved ones your undivided attention and creating memories together.
Manage your stress: Reflect on what triggers you to feel stressed, find ways to avoid your triggers, create systems and adopt tools to manage your emotions and responses when you inevitably encounter them.
Take care of your physical wellbeing: Physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing are intricately related to one another. Be sure to get the recommended hours of sleep, exercise, and hydration, eat nutritious foods and explore supplements from which your mind and body may benefit. Avoid eating overly processed foods, and limit your vices.
Journal: Journaling is a great way to explore your thoughts more profoundly and peel back the layers of your complex emotions. By sorting through what you feel and experience, you may reveal new information about yourself or find wisdom in how to proceed.
Practice gratitude: Expressing gratitude for even the most mundane things can help you adopt a more positive attitude. The repeated act of bringing awareness to all the good in your life will surely uplift you and help you attract more of it.
Confide in others: Sometimes, talking out your feelings aloud can help you find the clarity you’ve been looking for. Lean on the support of others, share how you feel, and communicate what you’re experiencing to build stronger connections with others.
Create a support system: Build a support system made up of friends, family, coworkers, a therapist or coach, or maybe an online community. Surround yourself with people who are positive, supportive, and loving.
Get comfortable with feeling your feelings: Thinking through your feelings isn’t the same as feeling your feelings. There is a difference, and each has a purpose. Anytime you feel an emotion coming on, observe what that feels like in your body and welcome whatever it brings without attaching thoughts or labels to it. This is feeling your feelings.
Assert your needs: No one can stand up for you the way you can. Look after your needs by setting boundaries, communicating your feelings, calling out violators, seeking support, and being transparent with others about what you need from them.
Invest time In passions: Hobbies, side hustles, or worthy causes are all passions worth spending your time on. Engaging in your passions ignites the fire inside you and boosts happiness and sense of wellbeing.
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40 Self-Care Tips To Nurture Each Area of Your Life
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