Improve your emotional wellness and live happier days
Let’s talk emotional wellness. On this blog, we talk a lot about physical health and wellness and how natural practices and products can help support you—all of which is important. But what about your inner you? How are you doing? When you take a moment to really sit with that question and listen to what comes up, how do you feel?
If you’re like many of us, modern life instills a lot of stress and questions about whether you’re doing enough—enough to keep up with neighbors, enough to keep up with work, enough as parents or partners. It’s an emotional weight that can drag down your physical health if you don’t take the time to heal.
So let’s talk about some simple, effective ways to support your emotional well-being. Forget about keeping up with the Joneses for a minute so you can catch up with yourself.
What is emotional wellness?
Emotional wellness is the ability to adapt to life’s changes and to cope with stress and difficult situations. It is the relationship that each of us has with our emotions. If you find yourself feeling constantly burnt out and stressed or feeling extra emotional, distracted, or sad, this could be a sign that your relationship with your emotions is unhealthy. If you achieve healthy emotional wellness, you open the doors to having better relationships, responding better to difficult times, feeling happier overall, and recognizing more positivity in life.
How to improve emotional wellness
The National Institutes of Health is an incredible resource to look to if you want to strengthen your emotional wellness. Their Emotional Wellness Toolkit includes the following tips on how to improve your health in each area of your life:
Brighten your outlook
Those who are emotionally well have fewer negative emotions and tend to bounce back from difficult situations quickly.
They are able to hold onto positive emotions and appreciate the good in life. If you’re searching for a way to move forward and make a change, try these simple suggestions:
Remember your good deeds. It is important to recognize the good you contribute to the world and the services you do for those around you.
Practice gratitude. Create positive emotions in your day by showing gratitude for the things you have in your life. Read here for some positive morning mantras to help you kick-start your day with gratitude.
Develop healthy physical habits. Eating nutritious foods, participating in physical activity, and creating healthy sleep habits can help to improve your physical and mental health. In fact, starting from a place where your body feels well-rested, well-fed, and taken care of is absolutely critical for many people to achieve their mental health goals. Learn about which essential oils you can use to boost your workouts here.
Reduce stress
It is normal to feel stressed at times, but when your stresses begin to overtake your life, it’s time to take a breath and break out these tools to get back on track. Some ways you can learn to cope with your stresses include:
Show compassion for yourself. Recognize and praise yourself for the tasks you accomplish each day instead of worrying about the things you didn’t get done. If you have a hard time articulating these thoughts to yourself, try reaching out to someone you trust and chat about what you feel like went well today. Not only can it help you organize your feelings, but reaching out and strengthening social connections is also crucial to many people’s emotional health.
Exercise daily. Doing any type of exercise each day can help tire out your body and prep you for a long slumber. Massage CBD Muscle Rub to soothe tired muscles after a workout.
Schedule regular times for relaxing activities. Incorporate mindfulness and breathing exercises into your day in any way you can. Soak up some Zen with activities like yoga or meditation. Take your routines to the next level with these easy tips.
Get quality sleep
We often sacrifice sleep in order to get all of our daily tasks completed. When we do this, we are more susceptible to negative impacts on mental and physical health. When you get enough sleep, your mind will be clearer and you will be able to focus better. Try these steps to help you get a good night’s sleep:
Get enough sleep. The amount and quality of sleep you get each night is a crucial component for managing stress. There are many essential oils you can diffuse as part of your bedtime routine, including Lavender, Frankincense, and Roman Chamomile. Read this blog post to learn more about oils that you can use as part of your bedtime routine.
Keep a routine. Go to bed close to the same time each night and wake up at the same time every morning. Setting a routine will train your mind to know when it is time to settle down and rest.
Relax before bedtime. Turn off your electronics and do something to rest your mind. Make your own oil-infused bath salts and soak in a soothing bath. Baths aren’t your thing? Hop in bed and read a book. Diffuse equal parts dreamy Lavender, Bergamot, and Valerian as you read.
Get help. If you have ongoing sleep issues that do not improve with the help of any of these tips, talk with a health care professional to get the help you need. Exciting advances have been made in the field of sleep medicine that have changed the lives of those in need.
Strengthen social connections
As much as our lives seem to require more and more time facing a screen, there’s simply no replacement for speaking face to face with another human being, especially someone you love. Reconnecting with community can be incredibly healing, whether you’re connecting with an old friend, close family, or even just making an effort to have a casual chat with a coworker or neighbor. There are many ways that you can build healthy support systems, including:
Serve others and let them serve you. One of the greatest ways to build relationships is by serving. When you do simple acts of kindness for people, it will help you grow closer to them. Be mindful not to serve more than your mental capacity can handle. On the flip side, let people serve you and ask for help when you need it.
Nurture your relationships within your current network. Find ways to connect on a deeper level with the people you currently value in your life. Try starting a new hobby together, such as reading books, hiking, baking, or painting. Utilize your similar interests and time spent together to strengthen your bond. If you don’t have any hobbies, set a time to do something like going to the movies or a cafe on a regular basis.
Develop new relationships. Put yourself in situations where you have the opportunity to meet new people. Take a class at your community center, go to neighborhood activities, or volunteer in your community.
Be mindful
The practice of mindfulness involves being aware of everything going on in each present moment. This includes the feelings and emotions you feel inside, as well as the events and situations going on around you. We often live our lives on autopilot, constantly going with the mindless flow. Increasing your mindfulness will help you live in each moment and ground yourself in your life. To work on being more mindful:
Take some deep breaths. Apply Breathe Again™ Roll-On generously to your throat, neck, or chest as desired for a refreshing breathing experience. Inhale deeply through your nose and out your mouth to bring your mind to the present. Repeat five times. Do this any time you feel your mind racing and need to invite some calm into your day.
Spend time in nature. Go for a stroll outside and breathe in the fresh air. As you walk, pay attention to the little details of the sights and sounds around you. If you have any worries or anxieties enter your mind, acknowledge them and then try to return your mind to the present.
Be aware of your body. Meditate about each of your body parts, from head to toe. Pay attention to how each part feels and send yourself loving thoughts.
Read this blog post for more tips on how to train your brain for mindfulness.
For more resources on how to improve your emotional wellness, read here. If you try these tips and are still experiencing negative emotions, get the help you need from one of these resources.