Do you think that being emotionally fit is important?
Well, the answer is yes!
Emotional fitness is just as important to our life as physical fitness.
It may interest you to know that emotions play a vital role in how we communicate with our families, friends and even colleagues.
Since our bodies are the vehicles we use to move through the world, it needs to be in good shape to function.
Although, there may be challenging roadblocks in life, an emotionally fit mind will equip you better to handle the twists and turns along the way.
Even without a counsellor for emotional fitness, emotional fitness is possible.
There are ways to increase emotional fitness and health, here are emotional fitness tips to help you in life.
1. Rule your mind
As it turns out, it’s very easy for the mind to wander or develop negative thoughts without you being aware of it.
That is why your thoughts will often determine the choices you make –which could be either the wrong choice or the right choice.
However, the road to emotional fitness begins with awareness. Without awareness, a chaotic can mind make choices unconsciously.
The truth is, you may think that you are the master of your daily choices, but the reality is that, an untamed mind is a mind making choices for you.
2. Mood
On one hand, positive emotions embrace happiness, confidence and high self-esteem. While on the other, negative emotions embrace depression, anger, bitterness and poor self-esteem.
Nevertheless, a positive emotional outlook is the gateway to succeed in all aspects of life. While negative emotions can hinder success and drain the energy needed for your daily routine and activities.
When you are positive, you feel happy and push yourself farther.
3. Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is a priceless quality in life. It’s a feeling of self-value that allows you to feel more in control of your situation. You are able to speak up for yourself and defend yourself if any problem arises.
Also, standing up for yourself adds to your sense of accomplishment with great satisfaction.
4. Engage in random acts of love.
Engage in a random acts love like an unplanned acts of kindness. You could offer an extra hand to help somebody, give a parking space away or simply offer a smile to a stranger.
5. Make yourself happy and count your blessings
Happiness is an inside job, no one is responsible for your happiness except you.
However, one way to be happier is to keep a gratitude journal by jotting down things you’re grateful for and what makes happy.
But if you’re not sure what makes you happy, ask a family member or someone close to you. They are sure to know.
7. Take time for yourself.
You could spend time alone to rediscover yourself by taking solo trips or recording your own goals, desires and plans.
7. Listen to your body
Since our emotions are part of our nervous system, it’s automatically part of our body.
Check in and ask yourself “what is my body actually feeling right now”? “What are my senses telling me”? “Am I uncomfortable with this emotion”? Try to stay in touch with your emotion and pay attention to what is going on in your body. Don’t try to separate your body and your brain — they work together.
8. Label the emotion.
Once you can identify whatever it is you are feeling and label it, hold on to it rather than acting it out.
The reason we have difficulty holding on to our feelings is that we were often taught to deny or suppress our feelings as children.
To become emotionally fit, you need to learn how to hold onto your feelings and then release them in a natural manner.
9. Become aware of your emotional fitness.
You can strengthen your level of emotional fitness, just like any physical exercise would strengthen your body.
Take a break anytime you feel frustrated or overwhelmed and consider why you feel this way.
More so, you shouldn’t blame anyone, but try a different approach that allows you to continue forward with less tension.
10. Manage your defensiveness
As humans, we all have defensive reactions to things when we feel vulnerable. when we get defensive, it sometimes stop us from learning. Nevertheless, if you can be honest with yourself and listen to others even when it hurts, you’ll be able to get past it.
Keep in mind that emotional pain will not kill you but it will give you valuable information if you pay attention to it without defending yourself.
11. Practice, practice, practice
Trust that the only way you can be very good at something is through practice. That’s why you need to accept and allow mistakes – you are not expected to be perfect.
More so, emotionally fitness is not something you have, rather, it’s something you practice – and through practice, you become better at it.
12. Be an optimistic-realist
Be willing to confront the brutal facts of your reality and also learn to differentiate between hoping and fantasizing about your future.
Though hope is a belief you maintain to trust in yourself and overcome all hurdles placed in your path. But when reality throws a twist in your progress, choose to see that obstacle as real.
You have to develop the emotional fitness to withstand the journey and be brave enough to face the pain.
Ultimately, just as you can train and condition your body, you can also train your mind to be emotionally fit. It gives you a general sense of being in control of your emotions.
Also, if you put these tips into practice, you will notice how easy it is to bounce back quicker after facing any roadblock in life.
