Improving Emotional Health

We are beginning to learn more and more about the connection between how our brains interpret events and how our bodies react to those events. When we are experiencing stress, anxiety, fear, or worry, our bodies try to tell us something is wrong. For example, many people get migraines or stomach aches when experiencing negative emotions. The following is a list of physical signals that our bodies are experiencing negative emotions.
• Back pain
• Change in appetite (increase or decrease)
• Chest pain
• Constipation/diarrhea
• Dry mouth
• Exhaustion
• Aches and pains
• Headaches
• High blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Lightheadedness
• Racing heart
• Sexual problems
• Shortness of breath
• Weight gain/loss

Excessive amounts of stress, and dwelling on negative emotions can increase the chance of developing disease. Therefore, it is important to discover and learn ways to improve one’s emotional health. An important place to start is by identifying emotions and trying to understand what is causing it. This helps us to learn what triggers negative thought patterns. Simply identifying emotions can help us to catch ourselves when we are starting to get negative. The next step is to learn how to express our negative feelings in appropriate ways. When we keep our feelings inside and hidden, we often feel worse than if we shared our emotions with others. If you feel that you cannot verbalize emotions and share your thoughts with anyone in your life, it may be helpful to find a professional who can help you to find positive outlets for your emotions.

Another key to improving emotional health is to practice living a balanced lifestyle. This means maintaining work to life balance. Find pleasurable activities that reduce stress, have a healthy food and exercise plan, get adequate sleep, and to spend quality time with loved ones. All of these have been proven to have positive health benefits. It is also beneficial to develop a level of resilience; studies have shown that those who can overcome challenging situations are able to cope with stress in a healthier way.

Finally, it is important to put yourself first. Many people who struggle with negativity and letting emotions effect their daily lives tend to prioritize other people, and suffer as a result. Think about what is important to you, and focus on increasing your daily positive interactions with other people and with things you enjoy. Some find that utilizing meditation and other forms of relaxation can be very healing during stressful times. It is more important that you find things that you love to do, and you focus on expressing a sense of gratitude for all of the positive things in your life.