Many people have never given thought to the idea that happiness is determined more by state of mind than external events. It’s not necessarily about what happens, but is instead about how it’s dealt with it. Many people don’t realize that this mind/body connection is directly related to their emotions and their well being.
People with good emotional health feel good about themselves. They enjoy healthy relationships, are aware of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and have learned healthy ways to deal with the normal stresses of life. Events such as a divorce, a job loss, having children leave home, financial problems and death and illnesses can leave people feeling strong sensations of stress, sadness or anxiety.
On the other hand, even good events can have an impact that results in a disruption of their emotional health. Having a new baby, getting a job promotion, moving to a new home or city, or getting married can be just as stressful as life’s negative events.
What is a mind / body connection?
When the body physically reacts to emotional events, this is called the mind/body connection. It is common for life-sized events to cause the body react to the way people respond to their feelings, thoughts and actions. Some common mind/body reactions include stomach ulcers and high blood pressure, however, the list of health-related emotional reactions is much longer.
People suffering poor emotional health, meaning people who become easily stressed, angered, saddened, anxious or generally upset during difficult times, tend to have weakened immune systems. This weakened immune system makes it easier to get sick, catch colds and even infections. Furthermore, when people feel tired, stressed or anxious, they are less likely to take care of themselves. This is generally a time when it becomes more difficult to exercise, eat healthy or take prescription medication and instead, leads people to abuse other means of dealing with their off-kilter emotional balance. Unbalanced
How to create emotional balance
It’s possible to improve emotional health by first recognizing these emotions and understanding them. Emotionally unbalanced people need to set time aside to sort through the cause of their sadness, anxiety or stresses, beginning the forward step to managing their emotional health. Other tips for emotional improvement include:
Let it out: It’s important to express feelings and not keep them bottled up inside. Keeping things pent up often leads to even more emotional imbalances.
Aim for a balanced life: When dealing with negative issues try to focus on positive events instead. This is not to say ignore negative feelings, but instead, try not to obsess about problems. Focusing on the positive things is a way to help bring inner happiness and peace when dealing with undesirable problems.
Calm yourself: This could be an ideal time to start exercising, beginning yoga classes or other forms of meditation.
Good emotional health means taking care of yourself. It means ensuring healthy eating, regular exercise, enough sleep and implementing a regular routine, which will go a long way to relieving pent-up tensions.
Author: Divya Parekh (ACC, CPC, LL, MS) is an international career leadership coach, Head Career Coach at International Coach Academy, and CEO of The DP Group. She assists executives, professionals, coaches and students plan, develop and achieve their career and leadership goals. She has been recognized by Worldwide Who’s Who as ‘VIP of the Year’ for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in leadership coaching. She has also been recognized by NAPW as a ‘VIP Woman of the 2014 Year’ for outstanding leadership and commitment in coaching. She is founder of the 1/1/1 Leader Project. The project prides itself on being simple. Set a goal. Work towards achieving it. Give someone a smile. Be nice to another person. Make the world a little bit nicer. It’s free so get started today!
Article References:
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/emotional-wellbeing/mental-health/mind-body-connection-how-your-emotions-affect-your-health.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1456909/