Understanding Emotional Wellness And Why It Matters

In an ideal world, everyone would have the ability to care for their emotional well-being and navigate life’s challenges. However, maintaining emotional wellness is sometimes easier said than done.

If you’d like to improve your emotional well-being, your first step might be to learn more about it. This article explores why emotional health matters and how you might improve it in your own life.

Four reasons why emotional wellness matters

Emotional health can mean different things to different people, but some common factors might include: 

• Happiness
• Low levels of stress
• Beneficial social relationships
• Self-care 

It may be valuable to understand why emotional health matters. Below, we’ll examine four of the reasons why it’s beneficial. 

Overall life success

Did you know research suggests that people who experience more positive emotions may achieve better life outcomes? One common misconception about the relationship between success and happiness is that the former is necessary to achieve the latter. On the contrary, research indicates that people who feel happy might be more likely to achieve success.

Physical health

Research suggests that stress levels and other emotional struggles like anxiety can directly impact physical health. Possible side effects might include: 

• Disrupted immune system
• Hormonal imbalance
• Digestive disorders
• Hypertension 

Improved mental health can have a ripple effect that benefits your physical health and minimizes your risk of some of these physical health conditions.

Confidence

Emotional wellness may contribute to your levels of confidence. Being confident may help you believe in yourself when facing tough times or uncertain circumstances, giving you the mental resilience to overcome them. 

Healthy habits

Like other forms of wellness, many benefits of emotional health come from consistency. When you can maintain emotional health, you may set yourself up to have healthy habits as you age.

For example, developing the practice of constructively handling stress can increase your likelihood of leading a low-stress life. Over time, a positive snowball effect may develop where you can subconsciously maintain your continued emotional health pattern. In other words, our continuous actions in the present can and often do become the habits of tomorrow.

Tips to increase your emotional wellness

Everyone has good and bad days. But feeling good about your life and yourself can benefit your emotional health. 

Improving your psychological well-being may help you feel happier and more confident in your daily life. If you struggle with self-esteem or experience anxiety about pursuing your desires, you might benefit from implementing some of the practices highlighted below. 

Handle stress in constructive manners

Stress is a part of life. Still, how you handle stress can potentially impact your emotional wellness. By learning to respond to stress constructively, you might be able to improve your emotional health. 

However, this may be easier said than done. Many individuals can benefit from working with a mental health professional to find the best coping mechanisms. 

Choose your company carefully

The company you keep may also impact your emotional health. People can lift you up or drag you down. 

Some of us might be able to determine the quality of our company and its impact on our emotional health by considering how we feel when they’re around us. Do you feel happier and experience a better mood after spending time with your friends or family? Or do you feel negative, drained, or relieved when they’re gone?

If the latter rings true for you, consider discussing the situation with a mental health professional for advice on protecting your emotional well-being. 

Live a balanced life

A balanced life means different things to different people. But, whatever it means for you, your emotional health and wellness can significantly improve when your life feels balanced. 

Finding balance can often be a matter of weighing our values and putting the appropriate energy into each one. For example, suppose you value family life more than participating in community events. In that case, you might find happiness by placing more effort into spending time doing activities with your family and less time doing things to benefit your homeowner’s association or neighbors. 

For most of us, this isn’t something we can achieve overnight. Finding balance may require time and consistency. If you believe certain aspects of your life lack balance, speaking with a mental health professional might help you discover ways you can begin to prioritize your values. 

Professional support for emotional wellness

Certain life challenges can complicate reaching or maintaining a state of emotional health. Despite what you may be facing, you’re not alone. Help, support, and resources are available. You have the right to know your options and determine which path is best for you.

People experiencing difficulty in their emotional wellness may hesitate to reach out for help in person.

For instance, some encounter feelings of shame, embarrassment, or anxiety around this subject. Online therapy could be more beneficial in these circumstances. People often report feeling more comfortable talking about their emotions through a screen over in-person therapy. Online treatment may also be more convenient since it can be accessed from the comfort of your home.

Online therapy has been proven effective in many peer-reviewed studies. One comprehensive meta-analysis found that remote treatment can be more effective in some cases. The study examined years of internet-based counseling for individuals experiencing various mental health conditions to reach their conclusion. 

At BetterHelp, our online therapy services have countless success stories attributed to our flexibility, support, and care. Whether you’re experiencing difficulties with emotional health or another matter, BetterHelp’s professional therapists can provide support and resources that may help you navigate your concerns.