5 simple ways to balance your emotions
The first step to holistic wellness is finding the balance between physical and psychological wellness. This balance between feeling well emotionally and physically is key to cultivating a harmonious inner state of well-being.
Improving our psychological wellness can also help us advance in other aspects of our lives such as our personal relationships, social interactions, and overall perspective.
Some of the main ways to improve psychological wellness include:
1. Get active
Working out with exercises or physical activity that you enjoy. Emphasis on activity you enjoy. It does not serve you to force yourself into a traditional gym setting if you do not enjoy lifting weights. Likewise, why force yourself to swim if you find it cumbersome? If you are having trouble figuring our which physical activities bring you joy, try thinking about activities you enjoyed in your youth. From here you can create a few options that will connect you to your inner child and sense of play. If all else fails, through caution to the wind and go play on the playground. YOLO.
2. Breathing practices or mindfulness
Our bodies have a very effective way of helping us trigger responses when we need a rush of energy. However, to stay in a constant state of “fight or flight” can drain us in the long run. Finding a personal practice of breath-work can help to reduce stress and balance our emotions. In fact, breathing deeply can help regulate our nervous system and encourage restorative states of being physically and mentally. Breathing is easy to access— no equipment needed. Best of all you can do it anywhere!
3. Practice Gratitude
Oh yes. Gratitude. When we appreciate and uplift the things we have, we redirect our focus on feelings of joy, safety, security, and oneness. In other words— being grateful helps us forget about all the things going wrong in our world. When we learn to cultivate a daily practice of gratitude, we are more available to show up for ourselves and others. We are more aware of the things that matter most to us. We can cherish these simple treasures and use that positive energy current to fuel our lives in monumental ways. Plus, it feels good to think about the things that make us feel good.
4. Reflection and awareness with journaling
Cultivating awareness and reflecting on our emotions helps us to get clear and present with how we are feeling. Gone are the days where we stuff away and suppress our emotions. We have all collectively learned that processing the emotions in a constructive way is necessary to alleviate mental turmoil and in some cases physical pain. Aligned with gratitude, reflecting on our lives through a gratitude journal is a simple way to practice reflection and awareness.
5. Prioritize rest and recovery
Rest and recovery are trending. We are all realizing the importance of getting adequate rest. However, with our hustle and productivity culture, rest often gets buried under piles of to-do lists. When our bodies are at rest, we are able to repair on a cellular level. This is a important and natural process our bodies undergo to help keep our immune systems functioning.
According to the American Sleep Association, Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, with 30% of adults experiencing short-term insomnia. Keep in mind, nearly 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder. Creating an evening routine, listening to soothing nature sounds, blocking out light, and yoga Nidra are just some ways to cultivate better sleep.
We do not need a grand plan for balancing the emotions. Everything we need is literally inside of us—untapped and waiting to help us along our journey through life. Remember, to start small- consistency over intensity. A ten-minute stretch or breathing for 5 minutes is simple yet effective for creating lasting emotional stability.
For more information on insomnia please visit:
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/insomnia/insomnia-statistics/