3 Tips for Your Emotional Health
Lately, my emotional self has been a little strained. I started a new job and the anxiety that follows a new job, new work routine, and a new daily struggles are inevitable. Don’t get my wrong, I am excited for this new opportunity. I am excited that I will be helping people in a deeper more meaningful way. However, regular everyday stress can eventually turn into distress. The key is to recognize the stressors and work through them.
The words “Mental Health” are big buzz words now…as they should be. Attending to our mental health is crucial to our survival. Mental anguish can cut years from our lives. It can also leave us with feeling overwhelmed, guilty, helpless, changes with our sleep and appetite. These are symptoms of emotional distress. We do not hear a lot about emotional health, at least to me. At the same time mental and emotional health can be almost interchangeable. However, emotional stress relates to how an individual is able to manage his or her emotions, feelings, and thoughts. In other words, how are we coping with either day-to-day life or a traumatic experience?
3 Emotional Self-Care Tips
In today’s blog, I have outline 5 of my favorite self-care tips for emotional health. Of course, these aren’t the only ways to restore and balance your emotional health. And, perhaps you have your own favorite tips that you would love to share!
Mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness is one of my favorite ways of meditation. I’m the kind of person that can not sit and push all my thoughts out of my mind. There is always some sort of idea, or “I have to remember to do this”, or “crap, I forgot to do this” running in and out of my brain when I try to be quiet. Perhaps, if I continue to practice sitting in silence I may become better at it. For me, though, practicing mindfulness works. Mindfulness is a type of meditation where you focus on what you are feeling and thinking in the moment with out judgement or interpretation. This type of meditation allows me to focus on my breathing and accept myself as I am. The best part of practicing mindfulness is that you can do it while sitting, while laying down, or while walking. Try it out! Just sit (or walk) and be in the moment. This book, “Mindfulness Activities for Adults” is a great start to practicing mindfulness.
2. Journaling. I love to journal. I’ve been journaling since I was a teenager. It is a great way to write out your thoughts, stressors, excitement, etc. The good thing is that your journal does not judge. Your journal does not share your secrets. Your journal is your and yours alone. There are so many types of journals out there. A spiral notebook purchased at Walgreens can be a suitable journal. You can also purchase a specific journal such as a gratitude journal or a prayer journal. My favorite journal is the My Favorite Journal. This journal allows you to write down your favorite things and why they are your favorite things. This is a great to way to focus on the good in your life.
3. Meditation Apps. There are so many mindfulness apps. One of my favorite apps is Headspace. Headspace helps with my anxiety and insomnia. You can try this app for free for 14 days and there is a monthly or yearly subscription.
I hope things tips help you with your busy schedule and responsibilities. In order for us to accomplish the number of things we have on our list, we must first take care of ourselves.