Most of us know that we need to look after our physical heath by eating healthy food and taking exercise but most of us take our emotional health for granted.
We assume that we’ll naturally be emotionally well. Most people don’t realise that we have certain needs that have to be met to enable us to be happy.
 If these needs aren’t being fully met, we experience stress, anxiety, depression and we develop habits in an unconscious attempt to make us feel better. ie watching rubbish TV, emotional eating, drinking alcohol, smoking, taking drugs, etc.
To be in good emotional health it’s important to make the time to take action. Don’t tell yourself you can’t because you don’t have the time or energy, make the time because it’s an investment which means that your work and everyone around you will benefit from you being your best self.
 If you take action to satisfy your emotional these needs, you’ll find that you have more energy and enthusiasm for life which means you’ll get more done.
 Connection – to people and nature
- Â We need friendships and companionship with people who share common interests and goals, who care about us for who we are and positive people who energise us and support us.
- Make time to spend with someone who’s company you enjoy. Negative people steal our energy and enthusiasm for life.
- Connecting with nature is very important for lifting our mood. Getting out for regular mindful walks in the fresh air is very good for the soul.
- Spending quality time with people and/or animals we love.
 Gratitude
- When we’re stressed our minds will automatically focus on all of the negative things that are going on around us and we’ll ignore the positive things, creating a repeating cycle of stress.
- You can prevent this by keeping a gratitude journal. Over time, this trains your mind to focus more on the positive things and less on the negative things.
- Keep a notebook by your bed and every evening before you go to sleep think about and write down 3 good things you’ve experienced during the day. These can be very small things such as a kind comment, something funny or beautiful you’ve seen, or the enjoyment of some particularly good food etc.
 Acts of Kindness
- Doing kind things for other people makes us and them feel good. Commit to doing a small daily act of kindness like complementing someone, saying a cheery hello to people you pass in the street or holding doors open and being polite in traffic situations.
- Invite a neighbour who lives alone around for a cup of tea, or offer to do some gardening or cleaning for them. Send a kind message to someone who’s going through a difficult time and let them know you’re thinking of them. Sign up to be a blood donor, write a nice review for a local business, plant a tree or do a litter pick-up.
- If you have more time, consider volunteering it’s an opportunity to connect with other people who share your same values.
- Combine exercise or a hobby with kindness by signing up to a sponsored event.
Interests and hobbies
- Learning and creating new things gives us a sense of achievement which builds our self-confidence and self-worth. It’s also an opportunity to connect with other like-minded people and build friendships and relationships.
- Join a book club, take a class or learn a new skill or revisit something you enjoyed in the past but you’ve stopped doing.
 Setting Goals
- Having something pleasant to look forward to in the near future is important.
- Think of something you’d like to do, put a date in the diary and plan and organise it. It doesn’t need to be a big event, a trip into the countryside or the seaside, a picnic, a walk or coffee with friends or family.
- A trip to a museum, the cinema or theatre.
 Purpose and Meaning
- What’s your passion – what do you feel strongly about?
- What would you like to see change in the world?
- What small contribution could you make by getting involved?
- Write letters to your local MP? Join a charity to raise awareness of a cause that’s important to you, volunteer at a charity that’s close to your heart? Organise a coffee morning to raise funds for something that you believe in.
 People don’t have emotional problems if their needs are being fully met and their life is in balance but it’s important to think about your needs and implement strategies to keep yourself happy.
If you would like to talk to Laurie Harvey, please contact her directly and she’ll get back to you to discuss your concerns:
image: Tobi at pexels.com
