Most people think about healthy eating and fitness when they hear the words ‘healthy living’. However, good health also incorporates emotional wellbeing. Emotional health relates to how you feel, the emotions you experience and coping with challenges and things that you may find stressful. There may be many different triggers which cause you to feel upset, confused, worried, concerned, anxious and angry and it is important that you are able to deal with these emotions, either by yourself or with help from others, so that you can move on and live a healthy, fulfilled life.

Coping with emotions

Everyone has emotions but some people deal with emotions more effectively than others; some people worry more than others, others get stressed and some people may get angry. Some people deal with their emotions well, while others struggle to come to terms with their emotions and may find that this impacts on their general life. It is not possible to feel happy all the time. We all have off days and sometimes the littlest things can get to us but if you experience unhappiness or changes in your mood or you are struggling to deal with emotions, it is advisable to talk to somebody about this. You may choose a friend or relative or you may prefer to seek medical help, and in this case the first point of contact will usually be your GP.

Here are some tips for building up strength for dealing with emotions:

• Talk to somebody
• Have fun – take time out to do what you want to do, go out with friends, see a film or have a nice meal, for example
• Deal with stress – find ways to deal with stress before it becomes an issue; if you find yourself getting stressed, take some time out, have a bath, do some exercise or talk to somebody about your concerns
• Eat well
• Exercise
• Cut down on drinking- many people become emotional when they drink alcohol
• Make sure you get enough sleep

Professional help

If you feel that you are struggling and fighting a losing battle, there is help available. Arrange to see your GP to discuss what can be done to help better your healthy living. They will ask you about how you are feeling, what is going on in your life, if there have been any triggers, such as a divorce, financial difficulties or a loss and they will probably ask you about your general health. They may then refer you for counselling or therapy so that you can talk to a trained professional about your emotions and learn how to cope and mange your emotions and deal with any sources of anxiety in your life.