Tips for Your Emotional Health Part 1
There are lots of things you can read or hear about health. Sometimes people forget that emotional health affects everything including your decisions, your family, your faith and your physical health ( more on that another time). I am listing a few simple ideas to help you improve your emotional health. * Love freely.Give someone you care about a hug and a thank you for being in your life. Be open to possibilities that enrich your life. * Be respectful. Take care to avoid stepping on other's toes and to make sure that your needs count equally in all that you do. * Take quiet moments. Find time in your day to be still inside and out. Meditate with deep breathing. Relax in the shade. Soak in the tub. Watch the grass grow. * Exercise. Get some oxygen in your brain and relieve physical and emotional stress on a regular basis. Mind and body are connected. * Name your felings. Tell someone each day how you feel by naming the feeling. Connecting with another person reduces isolation and helps you feel grounded. Try these for 2 weeks and see how you feel. More ideas will be in the next blog. What do you think of yourself?
Each person learns about who they are and how they are thought of by others through what they see, experience and what they are told. When a toddler puts a toy in the basket and Mom says, "What a big boy!", the child laughs and smiles at the praise. When a sixth grader helps a friend with a new computer game, she feels confident and is happy about knowing something helpful. As adults, when a couple donates time and money to a non-profit that helps feed the homeless, they feel a healthy pride in doing the right thing. Developing high regard for one's self (self-esteem) requires both thought and action. Acting in a way that matches your values can only happen when you know what is right and wrong. People learn right and wrong from what people around them do and from the consequences of their decisions. This happens within the person, in the family, the church, the school and the community. Each person then makes a decision about what he takes in and what he rejects from that information. When someone is often told she is bad or wrong, especially at an early age, it is very hard to believe she has value. Hopefully, those negative messages change through the other places to learn about herself. Behavior and value rules may be different from one family or community than another. When someone feels "different", it is hard to believe he has value. It is helpful to find other like-minded people or people who are open to differentness. It is possible to learn how to see your own value even when those around you don't but it may require help from someone who believes in you. Try noticing each day what you do that you believe has value. Live consciously. Speak kindly to yourself and others. Learn as you go. |
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