Emotional Health

Emotional and physical health are two sides of the same coin. There is a strong connection between the mind and body. For instance, if you're having emotional instabilities or problems, your work and family life may be affected, and you may not be able to do the activities you once enjoyed. That will, in fact, lead to stress.

When an individual is struggling with both emotional and physical problems, doctors typically focus solely on the physical complaints, and the cycle of illness tends to continue. However, when the emotional health problem gets addressed, many patients report improvements in their physical health.

For several years conventional medicine made us believe that our genetics are the primary cause of our physical health. In the early 90s, however, scientific research found that our emotions play at least an equal or possibly even a greater role in determining what our health status is or will be in the near future.

Emotional health is an important part of overall health. People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They 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.

Being emotionally healthy does not mean you are happy all the time. It 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; emotionally healthy people as possessing:

•        A sense of contentment;
•        A zest for life;
•        The ability to deal with stress and obstacles;
•        A sense of meaning and purpose in life;
•        The flexibility to learn and adapt;
•        The ability to balance work and play;
•        The capability to create and maintain relationships;
•        High levels of self-confidence and self-esteem.

Some tips for creating your own emotional health definition and living it include:

·       Identifying personal strengths, building them, and living from them.

·       Learning optimism, realistically seeing the positive in even bad situations.

·       Developing the courage to define, and then live your life worth living.

·       Honing resiliency, the ability to learn from and bounce back from setbacks as well as flexibility in facing challenges.

·       Seeing the good in yourself and developing a healthy self-concept

·       Building a social network, even if it's small.

·       Creating a set of coping skills for dealing with mental health difficulties and external stress.

·       Living life with a sense of purpose.

·       Making time for hobbies and leisure.

·       Honoring your sense of creativity in your hobbies & leisure time.