How To Improve Your Emotional Health With This Activity

Our emotional health is an important aspect of our overall health. It is not separate, it is a piece of it. So here’s how to improve your emotional health by doing this one activity 5 minutes a day.

Before you start, understand that the situation, person, or event is not your enemy. What you are feeling is your thoughts and perceived assumptions about the situation.

Ask questions — what did they mean by that comment? Why am I feeling this way? How am I viewing the situation, person, or event? Noticing what setting your emotional lens is currently on will help you become aware of what’s happening and why you are feeling the way you are.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates

Self-reflection is the best activity to improve your emotional health. The ability to sit down and think about your thoughts, emotions, and actions can drastically change how you live and what you do. We all are alive, we all exist. Some people feel more than others. Regardless, learning how to manage, express, and improve your emotional help can cause a domino effect in the other wellness areas of life.

We all have seen or know someone who is not in control of their emotions. This can be scary, daunting, or even terrifying. Can we express our emotions around someone who can’t seem to control theirs? The good news is that self-reflection can be learned.

Ask yourself these questions for self-reflection and then WRITE down your responses.

What am I feeling and why?

Example: I am feeling sad. Why am I feeling sad? Because I didn’t check everything off of my to-do list.

2. Can I change or adjust this feeling? Is this feeling a pattern that comes up often or rarely?

Example: Yes, I believe I can change this feeling. I observed it, and now I can respond differently. This does happen frequently when I don’t finish everything on my list.

3. Have I felt this way before? If so, when? Who was I around? What was I doing?

Example: Yes, I have felt this way before. Every two weeks or so I don’t finish my to-do list and I get upset and sulk.

4. Is there something I am not seeing? Perhaps another perspective of the situation or event? What is the other perspective?

Example: Maybe I don’t need to finish everything all at once. Perhaps I can do the most important things first and do the others later.

5. Who is in control of my emotions? How can I make sure of that?

Example: I am in control of my emotions. I can start now with this plan to finish the most important tasks. That will leave space for stuff that may happen out of my control. That way I am not upset because I couldn’t finish everything in time.

6. What did I learn from this interaction? What can I do better next time?

Example: I learned to give myself grace and not to focus on being perfect. I can implement this new idea and track my progress.

Now take all of these questions and read them ALOUD. Sit somewhere quietly and relax.

What do you notice? What happened, if anything? How do you feel now? Keep a journal or a notepad of these exercises. Look back at them every so often to just check in with yourself.

I have been trying this activity daily and I have seen how much it has helped me. I am calmer and more present, and I think before I react.

Doing this every day for just five minutes can help you see clearly and make consistent effort to improving your emotional health. So, try these out and let me know how they work for you.

Remember friends, that small steps are progress, and all you really need is to take that first step.