Something about the end of the year that typically has everyone scrambling to catch up and racing around. Whether it’s the holidays, a busy work schedule, a packed calendar, or something else, it’s equally important to remember to make time for yourself. October is Emotional Wellness Month, making it the perfect opportunity to invest in yourself and even try something new! The dimensions of health consist of three categories: mental, physical, and emotional. Unfortunately, emotional wellness is not as familiar or prioritized as the other two, but we’d like to make that change! Keep reading to learn more about the importance of emotional wellness and its overall impact on your health and well-being.
Understanding Emotional Wellness
Emotional wellness is the ability to acknowledge and manage our emotions. It’s also how we handle life experiences that come along with them. To be the healthiest versions of ourselves, it’s critical to be in touch with our emotional wellness. Failing to do so puts our health at risk, causing stress and our immune system to shut down. An effective way to evaluate your emotional wellness is to reflect on current and past experiences, then, determine how you reacted. How did you handle these stressful situations? What did your emotions look like at the time? Was there something that you would have done differently? These questions are all a great starting point for becoming more mindful and understanding the correlation between emotions and the domino effect they can have on our health.
Its Connection to Burnout
For healthcare professionals, grueling 12-hour shifts are enough to wear anyone down. COVID-19 pushed everyone to their limit, especially healthcare providers, who were experiencing burnout at alarming rates. Something that can be learned from this critical period is remembering to address your emotional health when chaotic times like this pop-up. Burnout is a flashing sign telling you to slow down, process, and then act. There are simple ways to improve emotional wellness in the workplace, such as taking a break or stepping outside, stretching, catching up with your favorite coworker, and allowing yourself time off when the opportunity presents itself. If you are looking for additional pointers on managing burnout, check out How to Combat Pandemic Burnout.
Making a Change
But how do we deal with these emotions and stressful life experiences? A healthy brain has many components, we’ve learned that there are 6 pillars. There are numerous ways to boost your overall well-being! In this article, we provide a breakdown of these pillars and some helpful tips. If you find yourself struggling to get to where you would like to be on your emotional wellness journey, try focusing on one pillar at a time. It’s important to remember that everyone has a different starting point, so let this serve as a reminder to lend a hand where it’s due. Something unique about LRS Healthcare is that we provide an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for our internal employees and travelers. This program provides employees with confidential 24/7 support and resources to help them work through personal and emotional difficulties. The EAP reminds our employees that our focus is on them and that there is no stigma when investing in our mental and emotional health.
Whether emotional wellness is a new topic to you or not, the end of the year often symbolizes a time of reflection for many of us. Let this be a trial period for you. Start thinking about what your 2023 goals may look like and how you plan to achieve them. Not every day will be perfect, but how we rise to challenges in life and work through them can make a significant difference. For example, understanding what emotional wellness is and its connection to all aspects of life and our well-being is critical to reducing stress and maintaining a positive outlook on life. Let this special month serve as a reminder that it’s okay to take a step back and focus on yourself.
