Knowing what emotional wellness is and how to process emotions in a balanced way is key to your overall health and wellbeing. Emotional wellness is the ability to practice healthy coping skills so you can successfully navigate and adapt to life’s many challenges, changes and stressors. By having self awareness of your thoughts, emotions and behaviors you can handle situations that come up in a mature, logical and problem solving way, without letting emotions take over causing a negative, dramatic or overly emotional reaction.
Being emotionally well doesn’t mean we’re happy all the time, but it does mean we tend to have a more positive outlook on life. Situations can be looked at as a teacher with a lesson instead of getting caught up in turmoil and drama, which only makes it worse. Wellbeing entrepreneur Poppy Jamie says, “When we’re not fighting a feeling, we ironically allow it to pass quicker and, in the process, create the silence and space to hear its message.”
Many people simply were never taught or given the tools to practice the healthy coping skills that lead to emotional wellness. Unresolved trauma, mental health disorders, hormonal issues and substance abuse can also impact emotional wellness. Healthy coping skills and emotional wellness are essential to living a thriving life.
How do you cope with challenging emotions when they come up?
8 signs you’re having difficulty processing challenging emotions:
- Drama in relationships
- Extreme mood changes
- Angry outbursts
- Frequent crying spells
- Self involved
- Lack of boundaries
- Difficulty calming down when upset
- Negativity
10 signs you’re processing emotions in a balanced way:
- Healthy coping skills
- Self awareness of emotions, thoughts and behaviors
- Able to manage stress
- Have fewer negative emotions
- Positive self-talk
- Respond instead of react
- Feel comfortable asking for help/support
- Healthy relationships
- Comfortable establishing boundaries
- Ability to bounce back from stress and setbacks easier
“Big emotions—like anger, fear, and sadness—can be really uncomfortable. But even uncomfortable feelings are okay. In fact, all emotions are okay. It just takes practice to manage uncomfortable emotions so you can respond in a healthy way.” Jessica Speer
Ways to attain emotional wellness:
First, I’d like to share the three modalities I use to help my clients attain emotional wellness.
- Bach Flower Therapy– I offer 1:1 sessions, but the Bach Flower Remedies were created as a self help system so anyone can access and use them with ease. Don’t know what Bach Flower Remedies are? Check out my 8 minute video: What Are Bach Flower Remedies?
- Transpersonal Energy Healing: a combination of Body Mind Counseling and Hands on healing. Helps to uncover limiting beliefs, release stored emotions in the body and balance and relax the energy and nervous systems.
- Restorative Yoga: “The practice of restorative yoga is the use of props to support the body in positions of comfort and ease to facilitate relaxation and health” ~Judith Hanson Lasater
Other ways to attain emotional wellness:
- Healthy Food, Regular Exercise, Quality Sleep
- Traditional Therapy
- Journaling
- Meditation & Mindfulness
- Practice Self Compassion, Self Awareness, Self Acceptance, and all 7 Types of Self Care
- Practice gratitude
Emotions can be really challenging to handle. All of the topics above essentially fall under the category of Self Care.
When we care for our body, mind and spirit on a regular basis, we are more in touch with our emotions, thoughts, sensations and behaviors.
This gives us the ability to have a clearer perspective, an objective point of view and a calmer approach to life’s stressors enabling us to be adaptable and resilient.
