UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONAL HEALTH

Another facet of becoming the NEW YOU is becoming emotionally healthy. Did you know that your emotional health affects you on a daily basis and impacts the choices you make. Whatever you may be dealing with, your emotions influence who you are now and who you are becoming. You may ask...."What is emotionally healthy?" Well..that's easy to describe. Someone that is emotionally healthy is in control of their thoughts, feelings and behavior. During our life time we deal with many things that cause us to become emotional. The birth of a child, the death of a loved one, bankruptcy, divorce....the list goes on and on. During these times if we are emotionally healthy we will be able to handle each incident and deal with it in a way that doesn't hurt us or the people around us. When we are not emotionally healthy then the issues spiral out of control. Not only do we affect those around us, but we then become physically unhealthy. Did you know that stress causes insomnia and fatigue? And what happens when we have those issues?? I comfort eat, which in turn causes me to be more fatigued and yes...gain weight...and the spiral effect goes on!

Before we can become emotionally healthy we must understand how it all works. We all grew up learning how our parents or those around us respond to any kind of situation. For instance, we all know how our mothers or fathers reacted to a stressful situation. When my parents were angry my mother would yell and scream. My father on the other hand became silent. Growing up we learn those reactions and therefore emulate them. This causes a body reaction and we produce all those stress hormones for nothing.

Our language is filled with expressions of how emotion affects the body: tension and stress gives me a knot in my stomach, overwhelming sadness makes me feel all choked up, a difficult person is a pain in the neck. These are all learned reactions to emotion. Its what our body was taught to do during stressful times.

So..how can we become emotionally healthy? First you should map your emotions and find out how you react. More then likely you will see that your reaction is a learned reaction. Once you have identified your emotions and your reactions, you can then deal with the past and get beyond it and put into place new ways of dealing with the stresses of life.

It may take courage and faith to examine your own life, to face the past with kindness and gentleness for the person you have been and the people who have caused you pain, and to support the person you feel yourself becoming. Healing your past emotional experience helps create a joyful, healthy present moment and opens the doors to the life you want for yourself.

Once you move on from the past and start living in the moment your emotional health gets better and better. You will see a change in yourself and those around you.

Many people use different types of relaxations techniques such as yoga or taking a walk. Do whatever suits you to diminish the stresses in your life. When you become emotionally healthy, your chances of becoming physically healthy increase drastically and you are on your way to a NEW YOU!!!