The human body is quite complex, often holding onto emotional events and storing it in physical ways. Taking care of your emotional well-being is a key component in maintaining physical health. For this reason, October is Emotional Wellness Month. It exists to teach us how to process feelings in a healthy, positive way and to reduce everyday stress. 

3 Ways to Improve Your Emotional Wellness, Today

Get a massage.

An easy way to introduce self care into your life is to get a massage. This is a great tool for those who are just beginning to discover self care for many reasons. It forces you to put away distractions. The timed nature of a massage makes it a schedulable event, alleviating the stress of a type-A personality who lives by their planner. It physically removes toxins from and built-up stress from its physical manifestations within the body.

Call up a friend.

If you ever feel bogged down by your growing to-do list or could use a pick-me-up from the blues of life, one easy way to find solace from the stress or sadness is to call a friend. Whether you need a helping hand or a listening ear, you’re sure to find either on the other end. Take this tip a step further by squeezing in lunch or dinner with your friend to talk through what’s bothering you or to simply get away from it all.  

Do yoga.

Yoga provides so many rich benefits to your body and mind. It is an activity rooted in feeling good and thinking less. By focusing all of your attention on inhaling and exhaling, you may be surprised by how little capacity you have left to worry! Yoga is also quite versatile, ranging from slow stretching and breathing techniques to fast-paced flows that really get the heart-rate up. No matter how your unique body best de-stresses, there is likely a yoga routine out there that will get you there. 

All of the above tips for improving emotional well-being are fantastic options to begin your journey with; however, nothing in life is one-and-done. In the same way staying in shape requires regular exercise, your emotional health requires regular maintenance to stay positive as well. Rather than getting one massage, consider scheduling a monthly massage. This will not only give you repeat access to a stress-relieving activity, but it will also give you something to always look forward to. Rather than calling or meeting up with your bestie every 6 months, schedule a weekly dinner to stay up-to-date on each other’s lives. This will give you something to look forward to for sure, but it will also strengthen your existing bond so that you each have a strong support system to lean on when times get tough. And rather than attending one yoga class, consider making it a daily ritual in your life. Mind you, these are simply examples of commonly used self-care activities. If massage and yoga aren’t your thing, feel free to replace with reading, swimming, golfing, or any other activity that reduces your stress and brings joy into your life. Whatever you do, find what works for you and stick with it!