Am I Emotionally Healthy?

What is emotional health? It encompasses mental health issues like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, and other conditions. But being emotionally healthy also means managing day-to-day issues like stress, making and keeping friendships, changing bad habits, and using your creativity, all of which can have an impact on your physical health. Total health depends on a healthy mind as well as a healthy body, so it's important to take the time to nurture both.

We ignore the emotional messages that tell us something is wrong and try toughing it out by distracting ourselves or self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, or other self-destructive behaviors. We bottle things up in the hope that others won't notice. We hope that things will eventually get better on their own. Or we simply give up—telling ourselves this is “just the way we are.” When your mind is overwhelmed and stressed, and your emotions are taking over your thoughts and affecting your everyday activities, it's time to take a step back, take a deep breath, and relax.

There are many ways to improve or maintain good emotional health.

• Be aware of your emotions and reactions. Notice what in your life makes you sad, frustrated, or angry. Try to address or change those things.

• Express your feelings in appropriate ways. Let people close to you know when something is bothering you. Keeping feelings of sadness or anger inside adds to stress. It can cause problems in your relationships and at work or school.

• Think before you act. Emotions can be powerful. Give yourself time to think, and be calm before you say or do something you might regret.

• Manage stress. Try to change situations causing you stress. Learn relaxation methods to cope with stress. These could include deep breathing, meditation, and exercise.

• Strive for balance. Find a healthy balance between work and play and between activity and rest. Make time for things you enjoy. Focus on positive things in your life.

• Take care of your physical health. Your physical health can affect your emotional health. Exercise regularly, eat healthy meals, and get enough sleep. Don’t abuse drugs or alcohol.

• Connect with others. We are social creatures. We need positive connections with other people. Make a lunch date, join a group, and say hi to strangers.

• Find purpose and meaning. Figure out what it is important to you in life, and focus on that. This could be your work, your family, volunteering, caregiving, or something else. Spend your time doing what feels meaningful to you.

• Stay positive. Focus on the good things in your life. Forgive yourself for making mistakes, and forgive others. Spend time with healthy, positive people.