15 Simple Ways to Boost Your Emotional Health

Emotional health is an important part of mental health. Being mentally healthy is visible in all domains of your life. You are more productive at work, more engaged in your family life, happier when you practice your hobbies, and more satisfied with your sleep quality. Being emotionally healthy focuses solely on how you react to emotional moments, how you label your emotions, and how they impact your decision-making process. 

Emotions are a big and important part of our everyday life. Some people are more emotional than others, and even though this is mostly seen as a bad thing, it is not. Everyone feels emotions and they are universal. There are many theories about emotions, but all of them acknowledge that there are some basic emotions: happiness, anger, fear, disgust, sadness, and surprise. The range of emotions people feel is much wider of course, but all other emotions are a combination of these six. 

Emotional health is important for everyone. Taking care of yourself is equally important, especially because your emotional health has a huge influence on your behaviour, mind, and body. Poor emotional health leads to lower immunity, thus a greater possibility of catching diseases. You might also feel that you can only feel negative emotions and be overwhelmed by them. Taking care and boosting your emotional health is essential for a healthy body and mind. 

Here are 15 simple ways to boost your emotional health and take care of your mind. 

1. Sleep 

Some people might consider sleep overrated. They feel that if they sleep, they will not have enough time to do what they want. I do not have enough words to express how wrong this is. I had a similar mindset when I was studying during my college years. After reading more on how I can learn more efficiently, I discovered the hidden power of sleep no one is talking about. 

Sleep has huge benefits on your mental and emotional health, and depriving yourself of it is a huge mistake. Sleep deprivation makes you irritable, cranky, demotivated, and it leads to poor performance. On the other hand, having enough sleep helps you restore your energy levels, improves memory, and reduces stress and anxiety. This means that sleeping enough gives you the power you need to face the day in an emotionally healthy way. 

2. Exercise Regularly 

What is the link between emotional health and exercising? Research has shown that when you exercise, whether it is jogging, yoga, stretching, or weight lifting, there is a release of endorphins in your brain. Endorphins are also called the feel-good-hormone because they keep the pain away and contribute to a greater level of wellbeing. 

If you are jogging regularly, you will surely experience the runner’s high, which is described as being a feeling of euphoria. Those endorphins are doing their job and they keep anxiety away. 

3. Spend Time in Nature 

Spending time in nature has long been linked to better emotional and mental health. And the link between them is so simple. The leaves, the grass, trees, and flowers, all have a lot of green, which is linked to decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression. Spending time in nature helps you reduce your stress level, improve sleep, and increase happiness. By spending time in nature, you take care of and boost your emotional health. 

4. Meditate 

Meditation has gained momentum in recent years because it has huge benefits on emotional and mental health. There are a few types of meditation, such as mindfulness or transcendental meditation, but they all have similar positive effects. It helps you improve your focus, take notice of your emotions and thoughts, learn how to label and handle them. 

5. Practice Gratitude 

Practicing gratitude is a nice way that can help you boost your emotional health. I discovered it when I started my therapy sessions for social anxiety, and my therapist recommended me to write a letter of gratitude. It enhanced my empathy and made me more aware of the feelings and emotions I feel. It improved my self-esteem, and even though it may seem odd, it helped me sleep better and boost my emotional health. 

6. Get a Pet 

Not all people have the needed context to get a pet, but just spending time with some dogs and cats has equal benefits. Studies have shown that spending time with animals is comforting and it helps people healthily handle their negative emotions. Besides, spending time petting dogs, cats, or other animals have been associated with a reduction in stress levels, which is exactly what you need to boost your emotional health. 

7. Laugh 

Laugh is associated with happy and funny moments. You can laugh when you watch a movie, play games with your friends, or tell jokes. There are a lot of stimuli that can make you laugh, and there are a lot of positive effects laugh has on your emotional health. Laughing is linked to less stress and tension and a lot of relaxation. When we laugh, we feel good and this feeling will boost our emotional health. 

8. Choose Carefully What You Eat 

The food you eat has an important impact on how you feel. The mind and the body are deeply connected, and when one of them doesn’t feel good, nor does the other. Foods that have high-calorie intakes, such as fast food, can make you feel sleepy. Instead, choose home-cooked meals, fruits, and vegetables to give you the energy you need and ensure a healthy body and mind functioning. 

9. Inhale Sunshine 

I have noticed that during sunny days I have more energy, feel better and more positive. While during gloomy days, I feel mellow and sometimes sad. This is because the sun has the power of boosting your mood, while also improving your immune system and helping you get enough vitamin D. Spend time lounging in a hammock on a sunny day. It will be one of the most relaxing and nice things that will boost your emotional health. 

10. Practice Yoga 

Practicing yoga regularly will help you improve your flexibility, muscle coordination, and strength. At the same time, it will increase your self-esteem and confidence and will foster positive emotions. You need to practice it regularly, about 3 to 5 times per week to boost your emotional health. 

11. Spend Time with Your Dear Ones 

Social support has magical powers. Spending quality time with your dear ones is essential, even though it is through video calls or face to face meetings. Social support alleviates the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression and boosts your mood instantly. Also, it helps you improve your reaction to stressful stimuli and healthily label your emotions. 

12. Cut Off Alcohol 

Drinking alcohol often has negative effects on your physical and mental health. It is linked to memory loss and poor focus and attention. If you would cut off alcohol, you would enjoy days with more energy and fewer diseases. As we know that alcohol can lead to a lot of health problems, such as cancer and hepatitis. 

13. Be Present 

We often are tempted to live in the past or the future, but so rarely in the present. But the present moments are the ones that matter the most, so we must live them fully and appreciate them. If you often find yourself ruminating about that mistake you did in the past or thinking about problems that might arise in the future, you need to focus more on the present. 

14. Change Your Perspective on Failure 

Society has taught us that failure is bad. Few people share their failures, especially because there is a huge stigma against people who fail. But failure is honest feedback we get on our actions. Failure helps you identify the actions you need to do to succeed. So, failure teaches you how to become better, develop, and improve yourself. Having a healthy perspective on failure helps you boost your emotional health because it keeps stress and negativity away.

15. Get a Hobby 

Living in this fast-paced world where being busy is a statement, people rarely find time to invest in themselves. Getting a hobby is a form of self-care, an activity you can engage in and that brings you pleasure. An activity that makes you forget about the everyday hassle and be more present. Hobbies boost your mood and foster positive emotions and experiences. 

Conclusion 

Your mental and emotional health is very important and everyone should pay attention to taking good care of them. Choose to focus more on the present and replace damaging habits, like drinking alcohol, with healthier ones, such as eating fruits and vegetables. Spend time in nature, exercise, meditate, get a pet, and a hobby. All these small actions will boost your emotional health and will foster positive experiences.