10 tips for mental and emotional health
Did you know that taking care of your mental and emotional wellness is as important as taking care of your physical health?
Do you take part in activities personally, with family or with friends that help you stay physically fit? We should also include activities that can also keep us mentally and emotionally healthy.
Why should you invest in your emotional health?
Having emotional and mental balance is an important skill. If you have a lack of emotion this can lead to poor health, difficulty in relationships, and mental health problems. Keeping healthy mental and emotional alertness will help us face challenges, stress and setbacks. Being mentally and emotionally healthy will allow you to better connect with yourself and others.
Taking care of your mental wellbeing
Simply incorporating simple activities into your daily routine, and or making some minor changes in your lifestyle you can be on the road to a happier and healthier life. Here are ways to get started:
1. Take care of your physical health
Physical health plays an important role in ensuring that you are mentally healthy. You can stay healthy by eating well, exercising, as well as taking care of your physical health. Eating fresh food that is rich in nutrients helps your body deal with daily stresses. Try to eat plenty of foods that have Vitamin B-12 and Omega 3 fatty acids to keep up the levels of mood-regulating chemicals in the brain. Sleep or rest is also important; when we sleep the body is able to heal its daily wear and tear. Lack of sleep can make you feel tired, stressed and cranky. Getting enough exercise also improves your appetite, and helps you get enough sleep – which is also vital to your mental wellbeing.
2. Exercise, and get some fresh air
Sunlight increases the production of serotonin – a chemical that regulates mood in the brain. Daily exposure to sunlight helps avoid depression. Physical activity can also beneficial for the mind. Exercise boosts energy, reduces stress and decreases mental fatigue. Find an activity that you enjoy, so that this process is exciting for you.
3. Take care of yourself
Self-care is an essential part of mental and emotional wellbeing. Expressing your emotions constructively makes it easier to cope with your stresses and conflicts. Set time aside for yourself; pay attention to your own emotional needs, read a book, pamper yourself, or just relax and unwind without having to worry about your daily tasks.
Put away your gadgets and pay attention to what’s happening around you, try to be more mindful.
4. Spend time with people whose company you enjoy
Spending time with people you love and get along with, gives you a sense of being valued and appreciated. Having healthy relationships with your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors can increase your sense of emotional and mental wellbeing and will help with a feeling of connectedness. Why not have lunch with a colleague, or make plans to meet a friend you haven’t spent time with in a while? A smile or a hug cannot be replaced by technology.
5. Pursue a hobby, or a new activity
Do activities you enjoy. Keeping your mind occupied can also give you an outlet to express your emotions, particularly those that you may find difficult to share with others. Hobbies can help you overcome stress and increase your self-esteem.
Keeping a fresh perspective and trying new things, keeps you on your toes as you learn to step out of your comfort zone. Learning new skills help you break patterns that can hold you back. Challenging yourself, increases your concentration levels, and makes you feel good about learning something new. It also increases your confidence in new situations, new challenges and new people.
6. Manage your stress
We all have some people or events that cause stress. Identify what this kind of stress is triggered by for you, try to re-interpret and re-appraise those situations. It may be as simple as staying away from those situations altogether, but that may not always an option. Sometimes, the stress may be caused due to lack of strategies to handle certain situations or life events. It is essential to learn the skills required to address your stress.
If you know you get stressed by a certain thing or activity you must put that thing or activity in perspective and not let it become life-defining events for you. In some cases, avoiding stress-generating situations may work, but you must be able to differentiate between when you can avoid them and when you cannot. This could maybe include talking to a friend, believing in yourself, reappraising and reinterpreting your situation, meditating, going for a walk, listening to music, and exercising, just to name a few.
7. Accept yourself and believe in yourself
We are all different, with our own strengths and weaknesses. Identify and own your strengths and accept your weaknesses. This will give you the courage to believe in yourself and the strength to move on. Everyone has weaknesses, you will just need to decide what weaknesses you can change and what weaknesses you can live with. Accepting that you have weaknesses is a key ingredient of your mental and emotional wellbeing. Set some realistic goals, assess your own limitations and draw boundaries accordingly. It is okay to prioritize and say ‘no’ when you are overwhelmed.
8. Count your blessings
It’s that when you are grateful for what you have, it can take away the focus from what you don’t. Being grateful for what you have helps you stay optimistic about your future and boosts your mental health. Maintain a gratitude journal. Every night before going to bed, write down what you are thankful for on that day..
9. Express yourself
Sometimes we shy away from expressing our emotions or feelings that we think are ‘negative.’ Expressing what we’re feeling, what we like or don’t like, can help us clear our minds. On the other-hand holding those emotions in is a way of coping for many. Research suggests that suppressing those emotions can actually make emotions stronger an lead to increased stress.
Suppressing your emotions can also lead to depression or some anxiety disorders. Even anger and sadness are emotions that are worthy of expression. We need to learn how to express it in a way that does not create havoc on us, our relationships and our environment.
10. Ask for help when you feel overwhelmed
There is no one on earth who has the perfect life or that is stress free. When you feel sad, challenged, frustrated, confused, angry, or just simply overwhelmed and unable to cope, reach out to someone you trust – a spouse, friend, parent, sibling or relative. If you think you need even more support, reach out to a physician or counselor. The earlier you reach out, the better. There is no shame in reaching out for help – in fact it is a is a sign of great strength. Make use of the support system that is there for you.
Supporting Your Wellness
Young Living’s Essential Oils provide amazing whole body wellness support.
For a list of suggested Young Living Emotional Support products click on theEmotional Support link below
For a list of suggested Young Living Mental Support products click on theEmotional Support link below