How to navigate your emotional health

What is emotional health?

Emotional health is defined by how you think, feel and behave. It also encompasses your ability to recognise, acknowledge, understand, manage and express your feelings and emotions.

There are many things that can present challenges to your emotional health such as, financial, physical and relational circumstances. How you overcome or address these challenges can also reveal the state of your emotional health.

 

Practical ways to improve your emotional health

1. Be connected with community and/or family. Allow yourself to form and foster meaningful relationships with other people, rather than isolate yourself. Ensure that there are people you can speak to and be transparent with. Submit and establish yourself in a church where there is discipleship, fellowship and pastoral care.
2. Engage in physical activity and exercise. Go for walks, play a sport or just find a way to get your body moving. Physical activity improves your emotional health by producing “feel-good” chemicals in the brain, such as endorphins and serotonin. It also lowers the level of cortisol which is known as the “stress hormone”.
3. Cultivate an internal culture of gratitude and positivity. Practice recognising and vocalising the good in a situation and be intentional about choosing to be thankful. By making it a habitual practice to show gratitude, you are actively rewiring your brain chemistry to reduce stress-inducing cortisol, and increase feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. It also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a calmer state.
4. Check in with yourself and take time to address how you are feeling. By consciously carving out time in your day or week to dissect your emotions and feelings, you give yourself the opportunity to deal with any negative emotions before they become unmanageable.

 

Some foods that help to improve emotional health

Fatty fish such as tuna, mackerel, sardines and tuna which are filled with omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help to improve your mood by reducing brain inflammation, strengthening brain cells and promoting neuroplasticity. This is useful because brain inflammation is associated with fatigue and stronger brain cell membranes facilitates better signalling.

Dark chocolate which is high in magnesium. Magnesium helps to regulate the nervous system by reducing stress-inducing cortisol and supporting neurotransmitter function. Fruits and vegetables which provide nutrients necessary for brain function.

 

Surrendering your emotions to God

Ultimately, believers are instructed to submit their emotions and feelings to God.

Luke 12:25-26 (NLT) “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?”

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

God created emotions and they are necessary, but you should never allow your emotions to be your master. Submit and surrender your emotions and feelings to Jesus, they’re in safe hands.