“Developing emotional intelligence plays a vital part in finding a true and long-lasting body wellness. Nurturing your emotional health is very important. It needs just as much support as knowing the physical concepts of wellness and body health, which usually gets all of the attention.
The mind-body connection is a powerful one. Emotional health is a cornerstone in achieving full-body vibrance. Research has shown that having a greater grasp on understanding your emotions correlates to increased happiness and satisfaction, along with a better management of stress. Conversely, a lack of emotional balance has been linked to poorer outcomes with physical health issues.
If we tune out what we don’t want to feel, it only allows those negative emotions to take a greater hold on your life. I learned this approach was not the way to wellness. It wasn’t until I found a way to accept and cope with negative emotions and the stress from them, that I was able to move on, more resilient against the unpleasant feelings that we’re all susceptible to at times.
Luckily, we can grow our emotional intelligence and learn to manage our feelings in a graceful way. Here are my top three tips for finding a new relationship to your emotions:
- Practice deep breathing. Focus on your breath: expand your diaphragm, inhale slowly and deeply, fill your belly up and let it fill with air, then exhale slowly and deeply and feel your belly contract. This seemingly simple exercise can change your life. It’s a great way to support the mind-body connection and find a sense of calm. Studies have shown that it helps to oxygenate the blood and supports emotional wellbeing by reducing stress, anxiety, exhaustion, and even depression. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or down, find a quiet space and practice this deep breathing technique for some instant clarity. This is also an excellent way to calm down after a stressful situation, giving you time to reflect so that you don’t react from an emotionally unstable place.
Practice self-compassion. The minute we begin to criticize ourselves, our negative thoughts and feelings become amplified. When you notice that critical self-talk creeping in, think about what you would say to a friend sharing those same thoughts with you. Chances are, you’ll be much more nurturing to them than to yourself—use that insight to turn the conversation around and recognize your self-worth. Practicing compassion with yourself and others will continue to support your emotional intelligence, communication, and depth of understanding.
Talk it out. Sometimes all it takes to understand our emotions is sharing them with someone else. And often, saying something out loud can reveal a whole new meaning that you didn’t initially notice by going over it in your own head. Psychodynamic therapy, or talk therapy, has been found to not only alleviate symptoms during active treatment but it also has been shown to improve emotional balance after therapy has ended, thanks to the broad understanding and new perception that was gained.
Acknowledging your own emotional state is an important tool in supporting all of your other health goals. It also makes you a better friend, partner, family member, or co-worker by deepening your ability to understand others.
Emotional wellness is connected to all the areas of your life—stop running away from your feelings and start embracing them with courage. Your health will thank you!”
Mark Hyman, MD, drhyman.us
