Work, family, financial challenges, Covid-19, and all the other stressors in the world can really take a toll on one’s emotional wellness. It’s not easy to be happy and enjoy life if your emotional health isn’t at a high level. While many of life’s ups and downs are beyond our control, there are a lot of things that are within our control. There are several things you can do to increase your emotional wellness that won’t cost a penny or require a lot of time.
Practice these strategies and positively affect your emotional wellness:
- Move more. Your brain and your body are connected. You feel your emotions in your body. If you move around more, your body will be healthier and better calibrated to your environment. Sitting around too much increases the likelihood of feeling stressed or depressed.
- Use your time more effectively. The more you get done, the less you leave undone. Having your work and chores done on a regular basis results in less stress and a greater opportunity to feel calm and relaxed. Putting your attention on determining the best way to use your time is a great habit to develop and will benefit your life for the rest of your life.
- Address any financial challenges you’re facing. There are only three basic strategies for addressing financial challenges: Worry about them, ignore them, or address them. Find a solution to your financial woes and begin working on it. The other options only result in stress and misery either today or in the future.
- Get enough sleep. Your brain and body are a mess if you’re not getting enough sleep. Find a sleep schedule that works for you and stick to it. Everyone has different sleep requirements.
- Be sociable. As solitary as you might think you are, you still need to be around other people on a regular basis. Having people you can count on makes a huge difference.
- Let go of expectations and focus on gratitude. Misery largely results from unmet expectations. Spend some time each day focusing on gratitude rather than being annoyed that life, you, or others, have failed to meet your expectations.
- Avoid the news. The news today is little more than mayhem and political news because that’s what people like to watch. Engaging isn’t the same as useful. You’re not missing anything. Watch or read something else instead.
- Avoid most social media. The basic premise of social media is admirable: Stay in touch with friends and family. The reality is that the most common use of social media is to make everyone else jealous of their family, car, house, or vacation. The image that people project is often false, and it makes others feel small by comparison. Be smart in how you use social media.
- Limit your obligations. A simple and meaningful life is the best option for most people. Keep your life simple by avoiding optional obligations that don’t add anything to your life.
- Carve out 5-minute vacations. Daydream, play your favorite music, water plants, surf your favorite podcast or video streaming platform. As much as a 5-minute break can deliver some of the benefits of a full vacation for less time and money.
Avoid those things that can have a negative impact on your sense of emotional well-being. This includes social media, the news, unreasonable expectations, and unnecessary obligations. Get your rest, move around, and address the challenges in your life that are within your control. Spend time with people that you love.
When your emotional health is high, you have a solid foundation for enjoying many other aspects of life. Review the tips above and pick one to implement today.