Practice self-awareness: By becoming more aware of your emotions and how they impact your thoughts and behavioUrs, you can begin to understand and manage them more effectively.
Practice self-compassion: Be kind and understanding with yourself, instead of critical and judgmental. RecogniSe that everyone makes mistakes and that it's normal to have difficult emotions.
Connect with others: Strong social connections can have a positive impact on your emotional well-being. Make time to spend with family and friends and consider joining a support group or community organization.
Get regular exercise: Exercise not only benefits your physical health but it also has a positive impact on your emotional well-being. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, most days of the week.
Practice gratitude: Focusing on the things you are grateful for can help to shift your perspective and improve your mood. Keep a gratitude journal or share your gratitude with loved ones.
Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and focusing on your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Try taking a few minutes each day to sit quietly and focus on your breath, or try a guided meditation app.
Get enough sleep: Sleep is essential for maintaining good emotional health and many of us do not get nearly enough due to one reason or another. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night and try to establish a regular sleep routine as this makes it much easier for our bodies to fall into a healthy sleep pattern.
Seek professional help: If you're struggling with your emotional well-being, don't be afraid to seek professional help. A therapist or counselor can help you to understand and manage your feelings and provide you with the tools you need to improve your emotional well-being.
Practice self-care: Taking time for yourself is essential daily for maintaining good emotional health. It doesn't need to be a long period, even 10 or 20 mintes here and there can make a difference. Taking time for activities that you enjoy, such as reading, listening to music, taking a relaxing bath or walking with a friend are all great self-care practices that don't cost a lot of time or money.
Avoid self-destructive behaviours: It's easy to fall into bad habits such as smoking or drinking to much 'to relax', however these things simply add to our health and well-being problems. Substance abuse, self-harm or other self-destructive behaviours all have negative impacts on your emotional (& physical) well-being. Seek professional help if you are struggling with these issues.
Learning to check in with your emotions regularly will help you to notice when it begins to slip and see more easily what may cause this. Perfection is not the aim here - as it doesn't exist - but ensuring that you are aware of your emotional well-needs is an essential aspect of leading a happy and fulfilling life, and it's something that we all need to take seriously.
By following these tips and making small changes in our lives, we can improve our emotional awareness and learn to feel better both physically and emotionally. If this is a completely new practice to you, remember that it's important to be kind to yourself and seek help if needed. You can find out more in our 'Places to find help when needed' article.