Healthy Emotions! I’m sure that you can relate to this pillar. You know that when you are upset about something, you are angry, or you are grieving you just don’t feel right in your body. It has long been scientifically proven that there is a connection between healthy emotions and your actual physical health.
One of the things that we need to be constantly working on, is allowing ourselves the level of self-care that supports our healthy emotions. I am not advocating that we will not be getting upset, or that we will not be angry at times, or that we will not be feeling our feels. The definition of healthy emotions is that we are experiencing our feelings as well as having an awareness of what we want to do and respond to in the moment, by having the ability to address negative feelings so that they don’t bring us down. Even having an escape valve that allows release of the pressure of these emotions.
There is direct connection with negative emotions and the levels of inflammation in the body. Inflammation is the leading contributor to physical and mental imbalances and diseases. It is in our best interest to take all the steps we can to reduce inflammation in our body.
Having self-awareness as well as positive emotions such as gratitude, joy, love and compassion improves our physical and mental and emotional health because it allows the body to move through a state of homeostasis which is the balance of the body in healing and operating in a way that supports our everyday movements.
It helps to be aware of the following…
- If you are above ground and breathing you are going to experience some level of suffering. There is no such thing as perfection. The world is not perfect, human beings are not perfect, and you are not perfect.
- One of the causes of suffering is an attachment to a certain outcome. We are often stressing over something we want t0 happen or don’t want to happen. You can still hope and wish or desire a certain outcome. You just need to release your attachment to it. I have a friend that introduced me to the phrase, “This or something better!”. I love this. It takes my focus away from the this. It portends to a spaciousness that allows for a variety of outcomes.
- You can end suffering. You get to choose. If you can free yourself from attachment, you are able free your mind from sorrow and worries.
I was thinking about what I would suggest bringing us back in balance with healthy emotions and there are so many. Of course, I always suggest mindfulness and self-care practices. The combination of self-care related to all of “The Six Pillars of Health” will support your healthy emotions.