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Article by Christine Zellers, MPP – Assistant Professor, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County – Family and Community Health Sciences Department
May is Mental Health Awareness month, but it is not the only month we should focus on our emotional well-being. Our emotional health influences and contributes to our overall well-being and because so many Americans, of all ages, are reporting struggles with their mental health it is important to be aware and actively care for yourself emotionally. Balancing emotional wellness should include eating a nutrient dense diet, exercise, relaxation, proper sleep and social time with friends and family. Try to find time to maintain your emotional wellness with things that bring you joy and give you a reprieve from daily stressors.
Even if you feel emotionally well now, it’s important to take care of your mental health by doing things that are preventative just like you would do for your physical health. Routine, stress reduction and a positive attitude can make good mental health a reality. Create a daily routine if you don’t already have one for control and stability. It doesn’t have to be a strict routine, but you can start by setting a specific bedtime to ensure you get enough sleep or set a regular exercise routine, so you move more. Managing stress isn’t always easy and can be beyond our control. Taking control of situations by knowing what your stress triggers are and planning to avoid or cope with daily stressors can make them easier to deal with. Acknowledge what makes you upset and try to reason it out with yourself, is it something that can be dealt with another day, is there another way to cope with that stressor or can you take a walk to clear your mind and think of a different approach. Sometimes daily stressors take on their own life when we fixate on them and moving away from what is bothering us can help to get a new perspective. Try to talk to a trusted friend or family member to work through your stress and if it becomes unmanageable it’s probably time to seek professional help. Writing in a journal to record your feelings and thoughts can release bottled up emotions and better prepare you to manage them. Practice relaxation techniques like sitting quietly for 5-10 minutes every day to clear your mind. Positive thinking isn’t always easy either, but looking on the bright side could help. Always finding the negative in the day sets a trend for us to feel and behave negatively, try to find what you learn in experiences or what came from the situation that could be a positive. A positive mindset can help us live a healthier life and decrease the risk for chronic disease.
What you eat and how you move may not be the first ideas that come to mind when you think of good emotional health, but both have a big impact on how we feel mentally. Eating a healthy nutrient dense diet and getting the right sleep reduces stress and supports good emotional health. Try to plan meals and snacks that nourish your body and avoid foods that may unintentionally make you restless like caffeine and sugar. Physical activity is not just beneficial for the body but for the mind too. Yoga is a great way to improve your emotional wellness and so is cardiovascular exercise. Walking for a few minutes every day could change your emotional outlook and exercise can reduce or prevent the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Recent studies have shown walking in nature can reduce stress, try to take a walk in the woods or on a beach to enjoy your surroundings and de-stress. Take time for your mental well-being just as you would your physical wellness, and not just in May but every month.