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Be Emotionally Well

Saturday, 28 November 2020 09:00

By Lisa De Silva

Lisa de Silva concentrates on the definition, importance and benefits of emotional wellbeing, including a precursory self-assessment

What is Emotional Wellbeing?

Emotional wellbeing is all about how effectively we process and express our feelings, both positive and negative. It does not mean feeling constantly happy and upbeat, simply that you are aware of your emotions and know how to deal with them. A person with strong emotional wellbeing will still feel the whole range of human emotions including anger, sadness and anxiety, but will know how to express and manage these difficult feelings in a healthy way.

Why is Emotional Wellbeing Important?

Feeling uncomfortable with our emotions and repressing or ignoring our feelings can lead to negative patterns of behaviour. This can cause us to make poor decisions regarding our relationships, friendships and career choices, limiting our potential and enjoyment of life.

Many of us fear being overwhelmed by difficult emotions and worry about getting stuck in them. For example, we may fear feeling sad, in case we end up perpetually sad. Similarly, we may worry about expressing emotions, like anger because they conflict with our self-image. In the case of positive emotions like happiness, we may even feel we don’t deserve to feel such joy.

Consequently, many of us repress how we feel by distracting ourselves with drink, food and drugs or we adopt a fake cheeriness to pretend to the outside world that we’re fine. But ultimately, repressing our emotions is not healthy – depress how you feel and you will end up depressed.

What are the Benefits of Good Emotional Wellbeing?

Good emotional wellbeing will not insulate you from life’s challenges but it will help you to stay resilient, balanced, to keep a sense of perspective and make good life choices. While society upholds wealth, fame and power as the mark of a successful and fulfilled life, the real prize is good emotional wellbeing which is your greatest ally on your journey through life, helping you to tackle challenges with ease.

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