Own Your Emotions

The emotional dimension of wellness is a seemingly broad topic, and one that may seem intimidating and even impossible to obtain. But once you dive into the different components that comprise a truly emotionally well person, you just might identify areas that you’d personally like to improve. In order to determine if we’re emotionally healthy, we must first learn what it is we’re trying to achieve. So let’s take a few minutes to look at the basics of emotional health and the simple things you can do to obtain emotional wellness right here in Saline County this summer.

We asked a local expert, Dr. Rebecca Schlau, to give us the traits of an emotionally healthy person. Dr. Schlau is a licensed clinical psychologist at Bryant Psychology, and she says the emotionally healthy person displays “Optimism, adaptability, those who set realistic goals, a focus on improvement rather than perfection, and people who are willing to learn from mistakes (and apologize if needed).”

When asked what kinds of small things people can do for themselves on a daily or weekly basis to make a positive change in their emotional health, Dr. Schlau responded with a great list of tangible, do-able action items.  “First, increasing your physical activity level boosts the production of various chemicals in your brain that can make you feel happier, less anxious, and less stressed. It does not take away your stressors but boosting these chemicals may make your stressors seem easier to manage. Plus increasing physical activity can help people get more restful sleep.”

“Secondly, getting enough restful sleep is very important to emotional health. Often changes in ‘sleep hygiene’ or bedtime routines can improve the quality and duration of sleep. Well-rested people manage stress more positively, have more energy, and feel better about themselves overall.”

“The third thing you can do for yourself to increase your level of emotional health is to simply be mindful of the ‘positives’ in everyday life. People who feel depressed, anxious, or stressed often have a difficult time seeing things that are good in the world. Sometimes they feel overwhelmed with negatives. So becoming more mindful of positive things may help.”

She continues, “For instance make a conscious effort to look for ‘positives’ such as people being courteous to one another (such as opening up a door for someone, letting a car get out of a parking lot in heavy traffic, people volunteering, people smiling at each other, children playing). There is good all around us that is often overlooked simply because our minds are bogged down by stress. Also look for the ‘positives’ in your own life.  Look for what you do have that is good rather than what you don’t have.”

“Another action you can take on your own is to take an inventory of what is most important in your life and focus more on those things. You will have to force yourself, at times, to refocus on what is most important.”

What a lot of people fail to do is “Take time to unwind and ‘recharge your batteries’ without feeling guilty. If you feel lazy, allow yourself to savor the moment and remind yourself that it’s ok to take a break,” shares Dr. Schlau.

“And finally, be sure to reach out for support if you feel stressed,” concludes Dr. Schlau.  Saline county residents have a lot of local resources to rely on if they’ve reached an unhealthy emotional place. Not only are there the professionals like Dr. Schlau at Bryant Psychology, but you can also talk to your primary care physician or other health provider about your emotional health concerns; they may make a referral to a therapist or make other helpful suggestions.

Rivendell Behavioral Health Services is also a major local resource to look at, if you know someone with more severe emotional issues. All patients at Rivendell are treated in an inpatient setting, and they have specialized residential therapy for teens ages 12-18 that can last as long at 6-8 months. They also have an adult acute unit, as well as a child/adolescent unit where the average patient stay is 7-10 days, depending on the patient’s needs.

Laura Huff is an LMSW at Rivendell who works primarily with adolescents who are emotionally dis-regulated. According to Laura, “emotional wellness is really just being able to handle the stress in life, and being resilient despite setbacks.

According to Laura, one of the best tips she shares during any therapy session is one of the most simple to implement no matter your age or season of life. “We are all so busy with life—we don’t stop. If you would take five minutes a day and simply focus on breathing (or praying or meditating), you will notice over time a feeling of reduced stress, and in turn, an increase in your emotional health.”

If you’re already in a positive state of mind, keep it up! If you’re not there yet, hopefully you’ll now be able to identify the various emotions that you experience throughout the day and make necessary adjustments as needed. Having the self-awareness to own your emotions and affect change is a powerful step towards overall wellness.

As you can see there are a lot of big and small steps that you can take on your own this summer to get to a more emotionally healthy place. One thing is for sure, and that is Saline County is a wonderful place to start the journey. Because if we’ve learned anything through this study of emotional health, it’s that wellness is obtainable!