Your Emotional Check-up

Have you had your emotional health check-up?

Its kick-off time. The holidays have officially launched and for many that means full speed ahead. Decorations adorn shop windows whispering of endless lists of to-dos, while holiday plans between relatives, friends, loved ones and everyone in-between can reveal big emotions in all of us.

Tis the season to lose ourselves to our thoughts, our to-dos and our internal conversations.

A great deal of focus and energy is geared towards our physical health, our food choices and how they are impacted by the holiday chaos. However, in the midst of it all we can forget to care for our emotional health.In times of stress, it can be easy to tune out our emotional needs. Not making time to sit with and listen to our emotional chaos. After all, the holidays can be loaded with hundreds of emotions; joy, fear, anxiety, bliss, jealousy, unspoken hurt, and sometimes anger. Why is emotional wellness an important part of our health?

The mind-body connection is not just a catchy phrase; it is a measurable, concrete connection between the health of our mind and the health of our body. This connection is how the health of our emotions impact the health of our physiological wellbeing.

Stress, anxiety, sadness, frustration, depression; each of these conditions are an emotional “illness”. This illness; however, is not something we can see or touch, it exists due to an in-balance, an over expression or a depletion of the chemicals in our brain. These brain chemicals, epinephrine, adrenaline, dopamine, and many more play an important roll in our mood, sleep, energy and emotional wellness. These chemicals are not only isolated to our brain, but also work in many systems throughout our body.

Treating and caring for our emotional health is just as much a part of self-care as brushing our teeth, exercising our body and eating healthful foods. Our emotional health is impacted by the care we take to rest, restore and reflect on the thoughts, emotions and beliefs we repeat to ourselves each day. Think of caring for your emotional health as you would your physical health; routinely, deliberately and with intention. 

Start today. Take 5 minutes at the beginning, middle or end of day to sit quietly, breath deeply and reflect on the thoughts, emotions and feelings you had that day or that week. Just notice them, don’t judge them or justify them. Only observe. It may surprise you what you observe.

Healing is not only a physical process, but also an emotional process. Just as we take care to feed our bodies nutritious food to support our health, it is important to take time to be mindful of our emotional health.

How can you take the time to be mindful of your emotional health this holiday season?

In Health & Happiness,

Abby