Did you know the National Institute of Health lists building resilience, stress reduction, quality sleep, social connectedness, and mindfulness as five of the most effective ways to improve your emotional wellness (2022)? While that may sound easy enough, we all know there are days when we’re too busy to get a full eight hours of sleep in or days where we don’t feel especially resilient, so let’s talk about 5 easy, low-pressure ways to start improving these areas of your emotional wellness today!
Building Resilience
The easiest way to start building up resilience is by doing something for yourself each day. It doesn’t have to be complex or extravagant, but by taking a moment for yourself or doing something you enjoy each day and relishing in those pleasant moments, you replenish your emotional reserves for more taxing times.
“Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don’t plan it, don’t wait for it, just let it happen.” – Agent Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks
Stress Reduction
The first step in reducing stress is by practicing self-compassion. In her novel, What My Bones Know, author Stephanie Foo dives into how she didn’t even realize how much energy she was expending on negative self-talk until she started reversing it (Foo, 2023). We often add unnecessary stress to our own plates by being our worst critics, and while it can feel awkward at first, the more we practice positive self-talk the easier and more natural it becomes.
“Self-compassion is like a muscle. The more we practice flexing it, especially when life doesn’t go exactly according to plan (a frequent scenario for most of us), the stronger and more resilient our compassion muscle becomes.”— Sharon Salzberg
Improving Sleep Quality
While we may not always be able to commit to 6-8 hours a night, improving the quality of your sleep is more attainable than you may think. The easiest start to improving sleep quality is by improving sleep hygiene. Setting a bedtime routine—such as going to bed at the same time each night—can help your body know when it’s time to hit the hay and prepare for a more restful sleep (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2022).
Improving Social Connectedness
While this one may be a bit tough for some of us, especially in today’s remote world, studies have shown that positive social connections are important for our emotional wellness as human beings (Berns-Zare, 2019). One easy way to add moments of social connection to your life is by taking a moment to say hello to others as you go about your day or barring this, you can even increase connectedness by reflecting on phrases of loving-kindness (Berns-Zare, 2019). I realize the phrase may make you skeptical but bear with me. By repeating words of kindness to ourselves, then conjuring the image of someone we care about and repeating these same words to them, we practice both self-compassion and compassion for others (Chowdhury, 2022). Not only can this type of compassion-based meditation help us feel a greater sense of connection and goodwill toward others, but it has been doing so for centuries to boot!
“May I/you/we be happy. May I/you/we be peaceful. May I/you/we be well.” – Traditional Loving-Kindness Meditation
Practicing Mindfulness
As discussed in last week’s post, mindfulness has become my go-to method and recommendation when it comes to improving emotional wellness. The top two easiest ways to practice mindfulness are:
Box Breathing:
Start by breathing in through the nose for a count of four seconds, holding for one second, and breathing out through the mouth to a count of five (National Institutes of Health, 2022).
Body Scan:
In your mind, slowly scan down your body. Bring awareness to the feeling in each area as you scan (e.g., the feeling of your feet pressed against the floor, the feeling of clothes against your skin, etc.).
While these are all great tips for improving your emotional wellness, they are just the starting point. If you’re interested in learning about more ways to improve your emotional wellness, check out the National Institute of Health’s Emotional Wellness Toolkit linked below!
References
Berns-Zare, I. (2019, July 9). 5 ways to add more moments of social connection to your life. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/flourish-and-thrive/201907/5-ways-add-more-moments-social-connection-your-life
Chowdhury, M. R. (2022, September 12). What is loving-kindness meditation? PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/loving-kindness-meditation/
Foo, S. (2023). What my bones know: A memoir of healing from complex trauma. Ballantine.
National Institutes of Health. (2022, August 8). Emotional wellness toolkit. https://www.nih.gov/health-information/emotional-wellness-toolkit
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2022, July 15). Get enough sleep. https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/healthy-living/mental-health-and-relationships/get-enough-sleep#take-action-tab