Emotional wellness has long been a subject in college Residential Assistance (RA) manuals. It has also been used in spiritual and religious groups when talking about daily challenges. Getting a handle on what emotional wellness actually is though…that’s a bit harder. What does it mean to be emotionally well? Or even better, what do you do if you’re emotionally unwell?

If you are aware of, understand, and accept your emotions, you will be showing a high level of emotional wellness. It’s important because it helps us adapt and manage change and daily challenges. One buzz word that is frequently used is mindfulness, which means that you’re living in the present while considering your path forward and where you started; not dwelling on the past or fretting too much about the future.

Being emotionally well means you slow down and become aware of how you feel. This awareness gives you a chance to assess where you are and change how you feel. People who are emotionally well tend to be more resilient, meaning they bounce back from negative emotions and hold onto and appreciate good ones longer. It doesn’t mean they are happy all the time.

To get yourself into a positive mindset, you can try these tips:

• Ponder the good things you do each day. Give yourself credit for those things you do to help others.
• Everyone makes mistakes. Try to learn from what went wrong, but then forgive yourself. Don’t dwell on it.
• Make a list! Each day, write down something for which you are grateful. And if a written list seems like a big pain to keep track of, remember that you don’t have to keep your paper into perpetuity. You don’t even have to write them on paper. You can use Google Keep if that’s your thing.
• Spend time with positive people, and you’ll likely be more positive.

We’ll be focusing on different aspects of wellness, and if there is one that is particularly important to you, please don’t hesitate to let us know.