Emotional well-being: 8 strategies to achieve it

We often focus on how to improve our physical health. To do so, we try to eat healthily, exercise, get enough sleep, etc. However, our emotional well-being is much more than that, it is a key factor in our overall health. It helps us to be more resilient and allows us to have the capacity to improve and move forward in many aspects of life.

Just like physical health, emotional health can be ‘trained’ and strengthened. In this article, we will define what exactly emotional well-being is, what its importance is, how it affects our overall health and some practical and effective tips to improve it.

What is emotional well-being?

Emotional well-being is the ability to feel positive emotions, thoughts and moods, and to adapt in times of adversity and stressful situations.

According to the Mental Health Foundation and the CDC:

“A positive sense of well-being enables an individual to function in society and meet the demands of everyday life. Well-being generally includes global judgements of life satisfaction and feelings ranging from depression to joy.

In this regard, it is time to talk about resilience, which is key to emotional well-being. It refers to the ability to “bounce back” from difficulties or challenging situations. It is positively related to emotional well-being and negatively related to poor mental health.

We can develop our resilience by being open to change, developing problem-solving skills, coping and emotion management strategies and working to establish positive feelings.

Some examples that denote a state of emotional well-being:

• Allow yourself to recognise and feel your emotions without judgment.
• Find healthy ways to cope with negative emotions such as sadness, envy or anger.
• Expressing your emotions to another person. For example: explaining to someone that you care about something that made you feel bad. Conversely, if you let anger build up, the situation will end up unpleasant and uncomfortable.
• Physical exercise after work as a way of managing work-related stress.
• Allow yourself to cry.
• Write a list of things you are grateful for and reflect on it.

What factors can influence emotional well-being?

Certain factors can influence people’s emotional health:

• Changes in health status.
• Purposes.
• Loss of loved ones.
• Moving away from family and friends.
• Retirement (in case of a large distance from their trusted social circles).
• Changes in social relations.
• Challenges or difficult situations in work, school, relationships or family life.

How can we achieve emotional well-being?

Emotional health is an essential part of well-being. Emotionally healthy people are in control of their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. They can cope with life’s challenges.

In addition, they can keep problems in perspective and recover from adverse situations. They feel good about themselves and have good relationships with others.

If you think this is not the case for you, pay attention to your emotions and implement the following tips to regain your emotional well-being.

8 strategies to improve your emotional health

1 – Enhancing resilience

People who are emotionally well, have fewer negative feelings and bounce back sooner from difficulties. This quality is called resilience. Tips: set aside time for yourself every day, analyse problems from different angles, practice gratitude, and reflect on the meaning and purpose of your life.

2- Strengthening social relations

Making social connections with positive people has powerful effects on our health, both emotionally and physically. Whether it’s with your partner, family, neighbours or friends, social connections influence our biology and well-being. Tips: join a group that practices one of your favourite hobbies, join a new class, travel to different places and meet people, foster social relationships with people who bring you peace and stay away from those who are toxic and negative.

3- Improve the quality of sleep

To do everything we want to do during the day, we often sacrifice sleep. This is a mistake because sleep is vital. When you’re tired, you don’t perform. Sleep helps you think clearly, have quicker reflexes and concentrate better. Tips: keep a regular sleep routine, create a dark, quiet and comfortable environment in your bedroom, exercise daily (but not before bed), relax with a bath or a book before bed, avoid large dinners and stimulants, and limit the use of electronic devices before bed.

4- Be nice to yourself

What gives you joy, where are you most at peace, when do you have space to be you? If you are kind to yourself, you will want to extend that kindness to others. Advice: we all make mistakes, relativise your mistakes, don’t ignore your pain, and treat yourself as you would treat your best friend, a bad moment is not forever, everything passes.

5- Reduce stress

Chronic stress is our worst enemy and can lead to the development of numerous diseases. Tips: sleep at least 7 hours, exercise regularly, set priorities, eliminate social relationships that don’t make you feel good, be more compassionate with yourself, set a schedule for activities such as yoga, tai chi or pilates and seek help from a psychologist if you need to share your situation.

6- Live consciously, practice meditation and focus on the present.

Mindfulness, this ancient practice consists of being fully aware of what is happening in the present, of everything that is going on inside us and everything that is going on around us. It means not living your life on autopilot. Becoming a more mindful person takes commitment and practice. Tips: practice slow, deep breathing, enjoy a walk, be aware of your body, eat slowly and healthily, and if you feel like it, attend mindfulness sessions.

7- Do something for others and learn to forgive.

Offer to do something for someone for which you will not be paid and learn to forgive others. This will make you feel more ‘free’ and capable. It will help you to grow personally and be happy. Tips: You can help your neighbour with the shopping, pay attention to a child, participate in volunteering, send a message of thanks and forgive someone who once caused you significant harm.

8- Prioritise physical activity

Physical activity can reduce negativity, treat depressive states and improve our mood thanks to serotonin, the neurotransmitter of emotional stability. Tips: do some kind of physical activity every 90 minutes: dancing, folding laundry, tidying the house, going for a walk, stretching in a playground ….  Don’t forget your exercise routine – just 30 minutes a day can make a big difference to your emotional health!

In your quest for health, don’t neglect emotional well-being

Emotional wellbeing is one of the most important parts of holistic wellbeing, as it can affect our outlook on life, social relationships and health. 

When a person is emotionally healthy, he or she can manage the different elements of life successfully, live in harmony with a variety of emotions, and make decisions and coherently execute them.

Some supplements can help support mechanisms involved in emotional health. G7 Neuro Health contains biotin, a so-called vitamin H, which contributes to normal psychological function. It is important to note that low levels of biotin in the blood have been linked to depressive states and apathy. Another key ingredient is highly bioavailable silica, which can increase the excretion of aluminium, responsible for generating oxidative stress in the brain.

The impact of a weakened emotional well-being can be very detrimental to our health and can lead to high blood pressure and a depressed inmune system. Therefore, caring for and promoting our emotional well-being is essential because it greatly affects our mental health and our day-to-day tasks.