10 Tips for Maintaining Mental and
Emotional Health

Mental
and
emotional health are often
challenging to preserve in our modern-day,
busy and hectic lives.
To lessen the impact of stressful wear and tear, consider
implementing some of these helpful strategies into your daily routine.
Some of these tips have been also been touched upon in other
articles, however this only underlines their importance.
- Maintain good physical health.
This point is so basic it's often overlooked. Our physical health
affects our emotional health much more than we realize. Make sure to
eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep. As Virgil
said: "The greatest wealth is
health."
- Learn to release anger and let go of
grudges. Vent if you have to. Shake it off. Walk it off.
Harboring anger or ill feelings builds
emotional toxicity, which ultimately affects
your overall health.
"For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of
happiness". Anonymous
- Be aware. Look for the hidden message in
negative or difficult situations. Learn
from them. Experiencing adversity is meant to alert you to something or
teach you a new skill.
"Life deals you a lot of lessons, some people
learn from them, some people don't." Brett Favre
- Keep your brain active. Don't let
complacency or boredom set in. In order to feel alive and
vibrant we need to keep our minds active by learning new things and
challenging ourselves.
"If I had to live my life again I would have made a rule
to
read some poetry and listen to some music at least once a
week; for perhaps the parts of my brain now atrophied could thus have
been kept active through use." Charles Darwin
- Stimulate your senses.
As well as keeping your mind active, enjoy beautiful art, listen to music
that lifts your spirits or try a new
gourmet dish. Our senses need to be reawakened every now and then too.
"Man has no Body distinct from his Soul; for that called
Body is a portion of Soul discerned by the five Senses, the
chief inlets of Soul in this age." William Blake
- Have fun and don't take yourself too seriously.
Balance
in life
is important for maintaining emotional health. Too much emphasis on
work causes stress as well as wear and tear on the body and mind. Take
time off; go to the beach, the park or a movie to take your mind off
your current quandaries. Chances are when you come back you will see
things from a fresher, more productive perspective.
"I hope life isn't a big joke, because I don't get it." Jack
Handey
- Maintain supportive relationships.
Maintain good relationships with friends and family for much needed
feedback, a shoulder to lean on or
a different perspective.
Often we get so caught up in our own problems and misery we can't see
the forest for the trees. Having an objective pair of eyes and ears can
give you a whole new way of thinking.
"Someone to tell it to is one of the fundamental needs of
human beings". Miles Franklin
- Donate your old clothes, furniture or items you
don't use anymore to your local Good Will, Salvation Army or charity of
your choice.It will make you feel good, first by helping
someone out and secondly
by cleaning out your closets and basements of 'stuff' you haven't put
to use in a long time.
"For it is in the giving that we receive." St.
Francis of Assisi
- Take some yoga classes, learn to meditate or
incorporate a relaxation technique into your routine.
Besides having fun and not taking yourself too seriously, it's a good
idea to integrate another relaxation strategy into your routine for
those times when life gets somewhat overwhelming. Having many methodsto
fall back on ensures emotional well-being.
"If a man insisted always on being serious, and never
allowed himself a bit of fun or relaxation, he would go mad or become
unstable without knowing it". Herodotus
- Learn to savor and appreciate the moment.
How many times have we heard that life is too short? We get so
caught up in the whirlwind that we forget to
live in the present moment.
And in those times we're not caught up in the whirlwind, we're worrying
about the future. It's time to slow down and enjoy the now!
"Life is a memory except for the present moment that goes
by
so quickly you hardly catch it going." Tennessee
Williams
Take good care of your mental and emotional health. It can
determine the quality and enjoyment of how you experience your everyday
life.
Related articles:
Live In The Moment
The Importance of Maintaining Balance
9 Optimal Ways to Boost Your Immune System