A Practical Guide to Elevating Your Emotional Wellness

1. Mindfulness Practices

In the hustle of everyday life, mindfulness acts like an anchor, keeping us firmly rooted in the now. Studies have shown that simple practices like meditation and deep breathing help to calm us and boost our mood. Further studies found that regular mindfulness practice can build emotional resilience by lowering stress, anxiety, and sadness.

Mindfulness isn’t just about ‘fixing’ our emotional issues, either. A study showed that it helps to enhance positive feelings and increase our satisfaction with our lives. So, mindfulness isn't just a remedy; it's a secret sauce for feeling good about life.

Mindfulness is a way to essentially get to know yourself better, learn how to handle your emotions, and become more understanding of others. These are the building blocks of emotional wellness. Whether you’re taking the time to do a formal meditation or practicing simple mindfulness exercises, the impact on your emotional wellbeing can be huge. In life's busy moments, mindfulness can be a safe space, a tool for building emotional strength, and an invitation to enjoy each moment as it comes.

Why not try fitting mindfulness into your daily routine today? You can check out a snippet of one of our guided meditations here, or check out our full range of mindfulness sessions in the app.

2. The Power of Social Connections

Human connection binds us together and secures our emotional wellbeing. According to a 2017 study, social connection doesn’t just feel nice; it's actually good for our health. The research found that being socially connected can make us feel better, reduce feelings of sadness, and even help us live longer.

Cultivating meaningful connections is simpler than it might seem. Regularly spending time with our friends, taking part in activities we enjoy together, or joining clubs and groups that match our interests are great ways to build shared experiences. These experiences help to bring us closer together and provide a boost to our emotional wellbeing. Genuine connections with others are key to maintaining emotional wellbeing and helping us to feel secure.

3. Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Our emotional and physical wellbeing can have a significant impact on each other, with recent research shedding light on how our daily choices affect this relationship. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology discovered a fascinating connection between job demands and our eating habits. They found that when our jobs are very demanding in the morning, we are more likely to consume more unhealthy food in the evening. It's almost a chain reaction, with the stress from work in the morning influencing what we eat later in the day.

However, it’s not all bad news. The study also revealed that sleep quality acts as a kind of saving grace, stepping in to help when our jobs mess with our food choices. A good night's sleep can buffer the impact of morning stress on our evening snack choices and help us to stay vigilant. So, when we consistently prioritize quality sleep, we’re more likely to counteract the impacts of a stressful morning the next day. When our physical and emotional wellness work together, we can stay healthy even in the face of morning work stress.

Mastering our emotional wellness can help guide us toward a more resilient and vibrant existence. Mindfulness doesn’t just help us to tackle tough moments but to amplify the joy and satisfaction in our lives. Recognizing the importance of human connections encourages us to actively nurture meaningful bonds. Understanding the link between lifestyle choices and wellbeing underlines the significance of balance. By making mindful choices across our lives, we empower ourselves to find harmony in our physical and emotional wellness, even amid life's challenges. This journey towards emotional elevation is a chance to embrace each part of our lives with grace and resilience.

References:

• Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of personality and social psychology, 84(4), 822.
• Keng, S. L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical psychology review, 31(6), 1041-1056.
• Martino, J., Pegg, J., & Frates, E. (2017). The Connection Prescription: Using the Power of Social Interactions and the Deep Desire for Connectedness to Empower Health and Wellness. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 11, 466 - 475.
• Liu, Y., Song, Y., Koopmann, J., Wang, M., Chang, C., & Shi, J. (2017). Eating Your Feelings? Testing a Model of Employees’ Work-Related Stressors, Sleep Quality, and Unhealthy Eating. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102, 1237–1258.