This document provides tips for improving emotional wellness in several areas: brightening your outlook by focusing on positivity; reducing stress through healthy habits like exercise and social support; getting quality sleep; being mindful; coping with loss through self-care and support groups; and strengthening social connections by building relationships and joining groups.
This document provides tips for improving emotional wellness in several areas: brightening your outlook by focusing on positivity; reducing stress through healthy habits like exercise and social support; getting quality sleep; being mindful; coping with loss through self-care and support groups; and strengthening social connections by building relationships and joining groups.
This document provides tips for improving emotional wellness in several areas: brightening your outlook by focusing on positivity; reducing stress through healthy habits like exercise and social support; getting quality sleep; being mindful; coping with loss through self-care and support groups; and strengthening social connections by building relationships and joining groups.
Emotional wellness is the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt WRFKDQJHDQGGLIƓFXOWWLPHV+HUHDUHWLSVIRULPSURYLQJ\RXUHPRWLRQDOKHDOWK
BRIGHTEN YOUR OUTLOOK To develop a more positive mindset:
People who are emotionally well, 5HPHPEHU\RXUJRRGGHHGV experts say, have fewer negative )RUJLYH\RXUVHOI emotions and are able to bounce back 6SHQGPRUHWLPHZLWK\RXUIULHQGV IURPGLIƓFXOWLHVIDVWHU7KLVTXDOLW\ Explore your beliefs about the meaning LVFDOOHGUHVLOLHQFH$QRWKHUVLJQRI DQGSXUSRVHRIOLIH emotional wellness is being able to 'HYHORSKHDOWK\SK\VLFDOKDELWV hold onto positive emotions longer DQGDSSUHFLDWHWKHJRRGWLPHV
REDUCE STRESS To help manage your stress:
Everyone feels stressed from time to *HWHQRXJKVOHHS WLPH6WUHVVFDQJLYH\RXDUXVKRIHQHUJ\ ([HUFLVHUHJXODUO\ ZKHQLWōVQHHGHGPRVW%XWLIVWUHVV %XLOGDVRFLDOVXSSRUWQHWZRUN lasts a long time—a condition known as 6HWSULRULWLHV chronic stress—those “high alert” changes 7KLQNSRVLWLYH EHFRPHKDUPIXOUDWKHUWKDQKHOSIXO 7U\UHOD[DWLRQPHWKRGV Learning healthy ways to cope with 6HHNKHOS VWUHVVFDQDOVRERRVW\RXUUHVLOLHQFH
GET QUALITY SLEEP To get better quality sleep:
7RƓWLQHYHU\WKLQJZHZDQWWRGRLQRXU Go to bed and get up each day at GD\ZHRIWHQVDFULƓFHVOHHS%XWVOHHS WKHVDPHWLPH DIIHFWVERWKPHQWDODQGSK\VLFDOKHDOWK 6OHHSLQDGDUNTXLHWSODFH ,WōVYLWDOWR\RXUZHOOEHLQJ:KHQ\RXōUH ([HUFLVHGDLO\ WLUHG\RXFDQōWIXQFWLRQDW\RXUEHVW6OHHS /LPLWWKHXVHRIHOHFWURQLFV KHOSV\RXWKLQNPRUHFOHDUO\KDYHTXLFNHU 5HOD[EHIRUHEHGWLPH UHŴH[HVDQGIRFXVEHWWHU7DNHVWHSV $YRLGDOFRKROQLFRWLQH VWLPXODQWV to make sure you regularly get a good ODWHLQWKHGD\ QLJKWōVVOHHS Consult a health care professional if \RXKDYHRQJRLQJVOHHSSUREOHPV
For other wellness topics, please visit www.nih.gov/wellnesstoolkits
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YOUR HEALTHIEST SELF | (027,21$/:(//1(66&+(&./,67 continued
BE MINDFUL To be more mindful:
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COPE WITH LOSS To help cope with loss:
:KHQVRPHRQH\RXORYHGLHV\RXUZRUOG 7DNHFDUHRI\RXUVHOI FKDQJHV7KHUHLVQRULJKWRUZURQJZD\ 7DONWRDFDULQJIULHQG WRPRXUQ$OWKRXJKWKHGHDWKRIDORYHG 7U\QRWWRPDNHDQ\PDMRU one can feel overwhelming, most people FKDQJHVULJKWDZD\ can make it through the grieving process -RLQDJULHIVXSSRUWJURXS ZLWKWKHVXSSRUWRIIDPLO\DQGIULHQGV &RQVLGHUSURIHVVLRQDOVXSSRUW Learn healthy ways to help you through 7DONWR\RXUGRFWRULI\RXōUHKDYLQJ GLIƓFXOWWLPHV WURXEOHZLWKHYHU\GD\DFWLYLWLHV %HSDWLHQW0RXUQLQJWDNHVWLPH
STRENGTHEN SOCIAL CONNECTIONS To build healthy support systems:
Social connections might help protect %XLOGVWURQJUHODWLRQVKLSVZLWK\RXUNLGV KHDOWKDQGOHQJWKHQOLIH6FLHQWLVWVDUH Get active and share good habits with ƓQGLQJWKDWRXUOLQNVWRRWKHUVFDQKDYH IDPLO\DQGIULHQGV powerful effects on our health—both If you’re a family caregiver, ask for help HPRWLRQDOO\DQGSK\VLFDOO\:KHWKHU IURPRWKHUV with romantic partners, family, friends, Join a group focused on a favorite hobby, neighbors, or others, social connections VXFKDVUHDGLQJKLNLQJRUSDLQWLQJ FDQLQŴXHQFHRXUELRORJ\DQGZHOOEHLQJ 7DNHDFODVVWROHDUQVRPHWKLQJQHZ Volunteer for things you care about in your community, like a community garden, VFKRROOLEUDU\RUSODFHRIZRUVKLS 7UDYHOWRGLIIHUHQWSODFHVDQGPHHW QHZSHRSOH
For other wellness topics, please visit www.nih.gov/wellnesstoolkits
Emily Ford, Michael Liebowitz, Linda Wasmer Andrews-What You Must Think of Me_ A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Social Anxiety Disorder (Adolescent Mental Health Initiative) (2007.pdf