What is
Emotional Self Care and Examples
Our emotions, both good and bad ones, are part of our human nature. Fear lets us survive the worst situations, and uncomfortableness tells us that something is wrong. All emotions have a reason and help us detect problems that need acknowledgement. This is why, emotional self-care is critical for your emotional wellness.
What is Emotional Self-care?
It is an approach that addresses and nurtures your emotions, ideas and thoughts to enhance your emotional health. Emotional self-care is among the five kinds of self-care practices that will aid an individual in meeting their emotional needs.
But activities that promote emotions and self-care do not guarantee that you will always stay joyous, instead they allow you to embrace all your feelings, both happy and grievous.
13 Emotional Self Care Examples
We have compiled a list of emotional self-care activities for you to practice when times get tough. Use them while knowing that they aren’t a substitute for professional assistance!
Write in A Journal
Penning down a list of activities that bring you joy is a great method to care for yourself while also practicing organization. Along with journaling exercises, a bullet journal allows people to track their habits, and mood, plan their goals and organize their lives in a more aesthetically pleasing fashion.
Take Time Away from Social Media
Unplugging is one of the practical approaches to practicing emotional self-care. Yes, social media helps us to stay connected with other people, but it may also lead to negative feelings about yourself. So, rather than completely steering clear of technology, take some time away from technology once in a while.
Acceptance
Have you ever wondered how much time you waste trying to change or reverse undesirable circumstances that aren’t in your control? This is the root cause of many emotional and mental health problems.
The secret sauce of a peaceful life is to accept things as they are, including our emotions. Acceptance will save a lot of your time and energy.
Listen to Music
Playing some music to heal your emotional wounds and bring happiness to your life. Your favorite soundtracks often have the power to uplift your mood and allow you to unwind after a tiring and stressful day or task. Make a playlist that will allow you to feel joy, which will also make the time spent tuning in more purposeful.
Start Saying NO
Learn to say no when someone attempts to push the boundaries you have set for them. This practice will offer you a feeling of strength while also practically helping you safeguard your bonds. So, you should start saying no unapologetically and kindly.
Forgive Yourself
Self-forgiveness is one of the emotional self-care examples that can practically change your life for the better. We often keep ruminating about our “perceived mistakes” in the past, which leads to regrets and guilt, resulting in depression.
Forgiving yourself helps you concentrate more on the present moment and stave off grave health ramifications that are usually unobvious, but are caused by guilt.
Set Healthy Boundaries
You need to set some limitations for people around you that they can’t cross no matter what happens. It will decide what behavior you accept and how you will respond when a person tries to step on them. They include both emotional and physical boundaries.
Setting healthy limitations helps amplify your emotional health as well as save your time, values and security.
Letting Go
Permit yourself to let go of situations, relationships and things that aren’t serving you well. If you keep thinking about whether you should let go or hold on, then it’s your mind messing with your emotions. Remember, we often hold onto stuff for more time than we should. Not letting go impedes your self-growth, so letting go is one of the best ways to practice emotional self-care.
Be Grateful
What were you grateful for today? Think about it before sleeping and jot down at least three to ten things. Practicing thankfulness allows you to see the good in everything which is a powerful behaviour to nourish. Gratitude journaling is a habit that helps you appreciate the small aspects of your life and improves your relationships. Doing it before sleeping helps you wind down and snooze better at night.
Don’t Resist Your Emotions
Embrace your feelings, even if you feel crap at times. Terrible emotions aren’t a reasonable issue to handle. Plus, your sadness can be stopping you from growing and stepping forward in life. So, don’t try to inhibit or avoid your feelings, instead seek to welcome them. It will let you address them smartly.
Leave
Have you ever felt out of place in a situation or event? You might not have given thought to this option that you can leave. The reality is, there is no need to stay positive all the time.
If you have genuine feelings that you don’t belong in a place, relationship or situation, you have the option of leaving always available. So, abandon a place next time you feel upset, left out or sad there.
Read: 10 Proven Ways To Practice Emotional Self Care
Say No to Self-Criticism
Avoid negative self-talk, which is fuelled by toxic perfectionism and self-criticism. If you constantly feel you aren’t enough or can do even better, it may lead to negative self-talk.
Rather than pushing yourself to unrealistically higher expectations, let yourself be less than capable. It’s crucial to nurture positive lifestyle habits like talking to yourself and about yourself as you would do to a friend. Also, develop good body language, as it will stimulate you to concentrate on the good elements of your life instead of the bad ones.
Use Visualization
Visualization in addition to a vision board is a super helpful method for emotional self-care. A vision board holds a list of motivational sayings, images and stuff written on a flat surface. It is an amazing approach to persuade yourself to self-care and meet your objectives.
These self-care ideas can be your guide to starting emotional self-care rituals when the going gets tough. You can also start some physical activities to enhance your emotional and physical well-being. Remember that some people may still need to consult a professional if their situation gets severe. Happy self-caring!