Maintaining Emotional Health

Maintaining your emotional health is a big subject. We will begin to identify some elements of self-care over time but we will start with the basics here.

The level of influence our genetics has over our health is well-established. In general, our genes have tremendous importance, but our behaviors are what we can control.

All of us know we should do those things our Physicians has always espoused; eat right, get enough rest, exercise regularly, don't smoke, avoid high-risk behaviors. You can't argue with good advice.

In addition, to these physical elements of maintaining health, we also need to be aware of those elements that positively and negatively affect our emotional health.

A study put out last year said that generally people are happier if they do more of what makes them happy. Why didn't we think of that! It's so obvious many of us overlook it.

List those things you like to do or used to like to do and start to make time for them in your life. Try to work up to doing something everyday that you find enjoyable. This simple element of good health is missing from the daily life of many people.

What is the number one reason why people don't fit enjoyment into daily life. Time. Most folks complain that finding time for hobbies, exercise, and other activities is impossible due to time constraints. Lots of us feel that we work so much with job and family that there is nothing else. This often (not always) results over time in increased frustration, irritability, and sadness.

Yes, this is oversimplifying the situation, but we have to start somewhere. Start doing more of what you want to do (as long as they are healthy activities) and less of what you don't to begin living a better life.

Lots of these future topics overlap and intertwine to form our outlook on life. We don't have to wait to fidure it all out before we do something. The important thing is to get started. Live well.