6 Ways to Improve Your Emotional Wellness
October was Emotional Wellness Month, which is a time of self-recognition. It reminds us to slow down and reflect on the events and life changes we encountered throughout the year. It is also an excellent time to celebrate any recent achievements or set goals for the upcoming new year. Although the month has come to an end, I invite you to continue scheduling time to check in with yourself every month. How well are you? With daylight saving coming to an end, holidays approaching, and flu season arising, it can be an especially vulnerable time.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), emotional wellness is defined as the ability to effectively handle life stressors and adapt to change. Maintaining emotional wellness helps a person to continue having foresight and making healthy decisions, which can ultimately improve relationships, reduce stress, and achieve personal goals. An individual’s emotional wellness is based on how well they cope with their emotions during challenging and uncertain times.
Emotional health and wellness is important because it can affect both mental and physical health and vice versa. In fact, research shows that emotional wellness predicts long-term prognosis of physical illness such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The level of emotional health can affect one’s ability to function and overall energy level. Poor emotional wellbeing can lead to burnout and exhaustion. When the mind feels negative or low energy, the physical body will also feel It.
How one feels will likely affect their thoughts and actions. Here is a scenario to consider. A student, Jane, who recently started college begins to feel burnout from upholding her responsibilities as a full-time student and full-time employee working night shifts. With only four hours of sleep every night, she finds herself having a hard time waking up on time for school and having difficulty concentrating while in class. She recognizes that she is not doing as well as she would like. However, she is too tired to come up with a new plan. Jane, therefore, accepts the repetitive routine of balancing school and working late nights in an attempt to make ends meet. At the end of the semester, Jane discovers that she has failed three classes and bursts into tears.
During difficult times, individuals can often recognize the problem or stressor. However, they don’t always have enough energy or motivation to tackle the problem. Jane currently only gets four hours of sleep. She is mentally and physically tired and does not have enough energy to tackle problems other than going to school and work. Let’s look at 6 ways that Jane could have improved her emotional wellness.
1. Connect with a loved one
Perhaps Jane has gotten into a routine and has forgotten her long-term goals. Due to a busy school and work schedule, Jane has no social life and has had no time to visit family and friends back home. In this instance, scheduling a simple phone call once every week may help alleviate some of the stress she has been feeling. Hearing her mom or dad’s voice might remind her of home and remind her why she decided to go to college in the first place. Alternatively, she could call friends to discuss and arrange holiday plans. She could have exciting plans to look forward to.
2. Take a break
We all need periodic breaks. Just like getting a lunch break during an 8-hour shift at work, Jane needs to take a break in between her busy schedule. This might look like cutting back on work hours to put in more hours of sleep. She might want to consider going to the gym or making new friends at school. She can also consider cutting back on the number of classes she takes to reduce the workload. There are many options that could help Jane to feel more productive, restore her motivation and have a clearer mind.
3. Get some sleep
Jane needs an adequate amount of sleep in order to think more clearly and concentrate better the next day. Getting regular sleep will help Jane feel more energized. This might look like turning off her cell phone at night, taking deep breaths or meditating before sleeping, and listening to calming music. Jane will feel more alert the next day.
4. Engage in mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness is a great way to help Jane stay present by acknowledging her feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. During breaks between her classes, Jane can sit outside and watch the campus squirrels that often climb the trees and sniff for snacks. By observing the squirrels’ behaviors, Jane’s focus shifts from pondering on her exam grade to the playful squirrels. This is a way to redirect one’s focus and energy to feel less worried and anxious about another.
5. Laugh
Laughter increases endorphins, also known as “happy hormones,” in the brain, which helps to ease pain and promote positive emotions. For Jane, she may want to consider watching funny YouTube videos or a funny movie, attending a comedy show, or smiling more.
6. Seek professional help
Lastly, if Jane is having a difficult time engaging in the above activities, additional support may be needed. Jane may consider seeking professional help. She could consider reaching out to her primary care provider, school advisor, therapist, a priest, etc. Jane can collaborate with a professional and come up with other solutions to better support her and her emotional wellbeing.