Emotional wellbeing (EWB) is defined as the emotional quality of an individual’s everyday experience- intensity and frequency of joy, stress, sadness, anger, and affection that make one’s life pleasant and unpleasant. Another definition offered by Psychology today is that, emotional well-being is the “ability to practice stress-management techniques, be resilient, and generate emotions that lead to good feelings. It is important to know that Mental Wellbeing and Emotional wellbeing are two different things. In this post I discuss the multi-faceted aspects of emotional wellbeing in everyday living and the importance of it.
EWB is important for our Health, and this is something that we should be conscious of in our everyday living. Feller et al (2017) in their research discussed EWB as a scientific concept and reviewed evidence that supported EWB and Health. But what does this really mean?
Firstly, what encompasses EWB are concepts such as positive emotions, moods, (happiness), life satisfaction, and purpose. The relative absence of negative moods, emotions, and states (loneliness, stress, and sadness). All these factors fall under the umbrella of emotional wellbeing. Howell et al (2007) demonstrated the various forms of negative factors from stress, anxiety, and depression were associated with changes in the cardiovascular system. In addition to this, there are studies that found that chronic stress had significant effect on the immune system that ultimately manifested itself as illness.
These studies show the link between our emotional wellbeing and health. There is so much more evidence out there. But the main goal is to improve the quality of ones everyday experience to make it more pleasant and better. We cannot stop bad things from happening as you will encounter a lot of challenges that will cause you to feel these different emotions. However, there are things that we can do to help us cope with everyday challenges and respond differently to adversity.
One of the factors that impact your emotional wellbeing as mentioned earlier is chronic stress. If you are reading this and you know that you tend to stress a lot, no need worry. There are ways which you can manage that stress. Check out my post on the practical ways that you can start managing stress in your life.
Here is a link to more tips on managing stress.
6 Tips to Improve Emotional Wellbeing
1. Move your Skeleton
One way that you can improve you EWB is by exercising more. Not a lot of people exercise or find the need for it unless they want to lose weight. However physical activity is something that we should all be doing regardless of your size. The recommendation by NHS is 150 minutes a week. So you can walk around the block, cycle, go swimming, join the gym or even home workouts. Just get your body moving.
2. Connect with Others.
Humans are social beings and community is very important to us. So spending time with people that you love who do not cause you stress is something that will help. This can be family, friends, checking on those who support and love you.
3. Learn something New
Another way to improve your EWB is learning new skills. There are so many things out there to learn. The learning really never stops we just often limit ourselves because we do not fully understand our potential. You can learn a new language, instrument, and other different skills. There are many free resources out there to help you achieve this.
4. Do something for other people.
There are so many ways that you can help someone. People are always in need of help and being there for someone else can really make a difference for you and them. This can vary from checking in on a friend to volunteering.
5. Connecting to your Faith
I am Christian and I know that building my relationship with Jesus has been helpful for my emotional health. This can happen through reading the word of God, praying and being in fellowship with other believers.
6. Sleep
Sleep i vital for us, making sure to get enough sleep really will make a major difference. When you sleep your body and mind recharges which allows you to feel fresh and alert.
O’L Takeaway
As you can see emotional wellbeing is key as it can impact your health overtime. However, the goal is to focus on ways in which you can improve the quality of your life everyday. The focus is on what you can do to generate emotions that make you feel good.
Disclaimer: Please note this post or any other posts on O’Luminous are not Medical advice. You should connect with a professional doctor or therapist if you are struggling with any mental or physical health concerns.
