(First of two parts)
Emotional health is a frequently neglected aspect of many health and wellness programs. Frequently, when we speak of health, the focus is mainly on the physical health. It is not too well appreciated that in reality, one’s emotional health impacts significantly one’s physical health and much more. And if the collective emotional health is involved, as when a whole community or a whole nation feels a common sentiment, then the impact on the whole community or nation can be unimaginable.
That’s the reason why leaders aim to keep their members’ morale high, and address urgently anything that can dampen the group’s morale which may lead to a deterioration of their emotional health.
Emotions
Needless to say, emotions—heavily influenced by either correct or wrong perceptions—are the key factor that can trigger whatever subsequent psychological and physical reactions one may have. Emotions are such a potent force that can be put to one’s advantage or disadvantage. They’re like a wild horse which, when tamed properly, can serve one to no end; but when untamed, it can also throw the rider off its back and maim him or her.
Emotions are pretty much like that. Fortunate are the emotionally healthy individuals who are in control of their emotions and their behavior. Their emotions provide the stimulus that release a healthy amount of hormones needed to effectively handle life’s inevitable challenges.
Stimulation to some extent is healthy; in excess, it leads to destructive agitation which destroys relationships, and produce more problems instead of being able to recover from setbacks.
Controlling one’s emotions
Charles Darwin once wrote: “The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts and emotions.” Time and again, we’ve emphasized in this column the importance of controlling one’s thoughts and emotions if one desires a positive outcome. Inability to do so leads to negative outcomes.
If one shows any of the following symptoms—feeling anger, despair, hopelessness and helplessness; sleeping and concentration problems interfering with one’s work and daily life; a consuming desire to “get even”; substance abuse; negative or destructive thoughts toward oneself or others—blame it on a poor emotional health that should be promptly addressed.
Maintaining a healthy emotional state in the face of big problems and challenges one is confronted with is a goal one must make an effort to attain. It doesn’t mean that when one is not schizophrenic or diagnosed to have any mental illness, emotional health is not an issue.
Healthy emotional state
One should also realize that feeling good is simply not feeling bad. Emotional health is much more than that. It’s neither a negative nor a neutral and passive emotion. It is a positive level of emotional state that allows one to look at things more objectively; concentrating more on the good side rather than on the bad side (seeing a glass as half-filled, not half-empty), focusing on the solutions to a problem rather than on the reasons why a problem can’t be solved.
A truly healthy emotional state makes one more productive, and able to build strong relationships. One’s life is filled with a sense of fulfillment and meaning. The zest for living predominates despite adversities. One’s self-esteem is so high that it doesn’t matter what other people say about him or her. One gets to enjoy a real balance in all aspects of one’s life. One, too, becomes a blessing to others. As Henry David Thoreau admonished: “Be not simply good; be good for something.”
People with good emotional health are more resilient and are confident that they could bounce back from adversities. They cope with stressful and challenging situations, maintaining a positive disposition and outlook despite all the negativities they’re surrounded with.
They’re humans, too, so their emotions can dip sometimes, but they never allow themselves to be stuck in negative mood states. They’re humble enough to turn to whatever emotional support structure they have—usually family and friends; and with their help and with constant affirmations, creative visualization, meditation and prayer, they easily bounce back, ready to face their challenges.
Interlinked
Emotional health and physical wellness are seamlessly interlinked. One therefore has to take care of one’s body to maintain emotional health, and vice versa. Improving one’s physical health through exercise releases mood-lifting and energy-releasing endorphins and other hormones in the body. The natural high these hormones give are much better than the artificial high one gets through drugs, alcohol and smoking.
Aside from exercising regularly (even just a 15-minute light jogging or brisk walking daily), getting enough rest and sleep (7-8 hours nightly), sticking to a healthy diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, cereals and deep-sea fish), getting some sunlight daily (10-15 minutes early morning or late-afternoon sun) and limiting alcohol intake all go a long way in promoting emotional health.
Mental exercises and activities also help; reading inspirational books regularly, participating in church worship and fellowship, visualizing daily the kind of person one would like to be, strengthening visualization with regular positive affirmations, setting time daily to meditate especially after reading inspirational books like the Bible, and doing a kind act daily are powerful emotional boosters that can solidly build one’s mental and emotional foundation which no amount of problem or challenge in this world could weaken.
(Next week: Inspiring a nation to be emotionally healthy)