Emotional health isn’t quite as easy to pin down as physical health. There are no numbers to measure just how emotionally fit you are. Psychologists define emotional health as overall psychological well-being. It is a combination of the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulty. People who are emotionally healthy have a sense of contentment and a zest for life. They are able to laugh and have fun with those around them. They rebound from adversity quickly and deal with stress well. The relationships in their lives are good, and their sense of self-esteem is strong.
Even though it is more subjective than quantifiable, emotional health is a key component of your ability to be the new you that you are working toward becoming. When you aren’t emotionally healthy, your body suffers as a result. The negative thoughts and feelings you experience create chemical reactions in your physiology that can lead to weakened immunity, chest pains, shortness of breath, fatigue, back pain, high blood pressure, digestion issues, and more. Poor emotional health makes you less likely to dive into the healthy lifestyle changes you need to make to get your body where you want it to be. It may also keep you from wanting to engage in the disciplines that are important to your spiritual health, both corporately and privately.
[bctt tweet=”When you aren’t emotionally healthy, your body suffers as a result.” username=”nelsonsearcy”]This isn’t an issue to be taken lightly. Poor emotional health can completely derail your wellness in every other area.
While the majority of us won’t deal with emotional problems that cross the line into diagnosable distress, we are all likely to experience some level of difficulty as a result of poor emotional health. Being aware of some of the most common emotional stressors and having a plan for dealing with them can help you sidestep emotional pitfalls.
Keys for Maintaining Emotional Strength
Personal, relational, and occupational issues are the stuff that emotional triggers are made of. The varieties of problems that can threaten your well-being are too numerous to list. Here are just a few of the things you may deal with at different points in your life that can cause emotional strain:
- a traumatic event
- trouble at work
- an increase in financial obligation
- discrimination
- competition with others
- marriage difficulties
- problems with children
- caring for an elderly family member
- issues with extended family
- physical illness or injury
Any of these, given the right combination of circumstances, has the potential to send you spiraling if you aren’t careful. But you can protect yourself and your emotional health by doing these things consistently:
- sidestep surprise
- focus on the positive
- strengthen your foundation
- seek counseling
– Nelson Searcy and Jennifer Dykes Henson
The above excerpt is from p. 120-122 of The New You: A Guide to Better Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Wellness.
With your copy of The New You, you will come away with specific strategies on how to lose weight, get more sleep, lower stress, nurture better relationships, connect with God and much more! Anyone who wants to trade in the frustration of average living and less-than health for the hallmarks of the new life God promises will find The New You an effective personal guide for the journey.
Your partner in ministry,
Nelson
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