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Mind Body Connections: How Your Emotions
Affect Your Health
American
Academy of Family Physicians
What is good emotional health?
People with good emotional health are aware of their thoughts, feelings
and behaviors. They have learned healthy ways to cope with the stress
and problems that are a normal part of life. They feel good about
themselves and have healthy relationships.
However, many things that happen in your life can disrupt your emotional
health and lead to strong feelings of sadness, stress or anxiety. These
things include:
· Having
a child leave or return home
· Getting
married
· Getting
a job promotion
· Moving
to a new home or having a baby
“Good” changes can be just as stressful as “bad” changes.
Possible signs that your emotional health is out of balance:
· Change
in appetite
· Constipation
or diarrhea
· Extreme
tiredness
· Weight
gain or loss
Ways
that you can improve your emotional health.
First,
try to recognize your emotions and understand why you are having them.
Sorting out the causes of sadness, stress and anxiety in your life can
help you manage your emotional health. The following are some other
helpful tips:
Express your feelings in appropriate ways.
If feelings of
stress, sadness or anxiety are causing problems these feelings inside
can make you feel worse. It’s OK to let your loved ones know when
something is bothering you. However, keep in mind that your family and
friends may not be able to help you deal with your feelings
appropriately. At these times, ask someone outside the situation—such
as your family doctor, a counselor or religious advisors—for advice and
support to help you improve your emotional health.
Live a balanced life.
Try not to obsess
about the problems at work, school or home that lead to negative
feelings. This doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be happy when you
feel stressed, anxious or upset. It’s important to deal with these
negative feelings, but try to focus on the positive things in your life
too. You may want to use a journal to keep track of things that make you
feel happy or peaceful. Some research has shown that having a positive
outlook can improve your quality of life and give your health a boost.
You may also need to find ways to let go of some things in your life
that make you feel stressed and overwhelmed. Make time for things you
enjoy.
Calm your mind and body.
Relaxation
methods such as prayer, are useful ways to bring your emotions into
balance. Prayer is a form of peaceful and joyous thoughts.
Take care of yourself.
To have good emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body
by having a regular routine for eating healthy meals, getting enough
sleep and exercising to relieve pent-up tension.
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians www.familydoctor.org
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