(We usually use the colour to describe the emotion ‘sad’. Feeling blue as we call it. But there is more to it. Blue signifies calm, peace, creativity & self-expression. In a way, the word is an oxymoron.)
Life is like an ocean wave, our days come with highs and lows. In a single day, we may experience a plethora of emotions. From being happy and calm to stressed and moody within minutes when we are flooded with work.
When venting out to say your friend, have you ever found yourself saying, ‘I am not doing mentally or emotionally well'?
Well, if you do, it is completely normal. Don’t worry, it happens to everyone at some point!
Stress isn’t always bad. Sometimes when we stress, to inspire ourselves. For example, during exams we study because we are stressed and worried about our grades. Had we not been stressed at all; we wouldn't study at all. Saying that, stressing a lot, isn’t good. Overthinking about how badly you could do in your exams or comparing your preparation to your classmates would add unnecessary stress which could actually cause your distress.
Eustress, which is the good stress and motivates us, is an integral part of our life however we should try and avoid distress, which is the bad stress.
Mental health and emotional health seem like synonyms for one another. Well, that isn’t completely wrong. Both mental health and emotional health depend on one another. But the meanings are slightly different. As defined by the World Health Organisation, 'mental health is the foundation for the well-being and effective functioning of individuals. Mental health is a state of balance, both within and with the environment.’ On the other hand, emotional health refers to the individual’s ability to recognise and manage his or her feelings despite the challenges and changes they may face in their daily lives.
Even now they seem pretty much like the same thing. So let's break it down.
Emotional health is having both an awareness of your emotions and the ability to manage and express those feelings in an appropriate manner.
Mental health deals with those behaviours that are related to our brain or mind.
Emotional health and mental health are both very important for our daily functioning. But sometimes we find ourselves, especially when under stress, overwhelmed. Our emotions are not in our control. Sudden mood swings, getting emotional on something insignificant, increased heart rate etc are common symptoms of when we aren’t able to handle our emotions well. To avoid going through this, many people prefer blocking their emotions completely- becoming cold-hearted. While it sounds very teenager-like and ‘cool’ it is not advised.
Emotional distress leaves people susceptible to both mental and physical illness. Ailments like cardiovascular disease or immune system repression are linked to emotional distress. As scary as it may seem, it can be handled.
A person who lives a healthy emotional lifestyle will be able to handle the big wave of emotions when thrown at them.
To ensure living a healthy emotional lifestyle, one must be self-aware. The individual who is aware of their emotions would be able to look within themselves and redirect emotions when needed and navigate through distress.
Working hand in hand with self-awareness is self-acceptance. When one accepts him/herself they are better equipped with handling adversity with ease. Having strong coping skills is a must. When faced with an unpleasant situation, a person with poor coping skills would first resort to panicking, creating unnecessary stress. Facing the same unpleasant situation with a calm head would result in higher levels of productivity and resilience when things don’t go the way you want them to go.
I can’t emphasise enough on ‘managing stress.’ That is the key to both mental and emotional wellness. Whether writing in a journal or talking to someone helps manage stress. Look within yourself and see what are the things that help you manage your stress. If it is being outdoors, exercise whenever you feel stressed. Take a step back from whatever you are doing, take a deep breath and take a walk. Play your favourite songs if that helps. Taking a couple of minutes off doesn’t mean you get to ignore those stressors. You may take steps to analyse them.
Stress arises when we lose control over a situation and don't know how to gain that control back. It makes us frustrated. However, half of the time we try to take control over such situations over which we can never have control. So what do we do then?
Today, lets identify situations we have control over and which situations we can’t control
Take a plain sheet of paper and draw two circles. One small one and one around it.
Step 1: Make a list of at least 5-7 colours and what emotions they represent for you. For example- red may signify pain and yellow may signify joy.
Step 2: Next draw two circles, 1 a smaller one and another around it. Like shown in the figure above.
Step 3: In the inner circle you can write the things or situations that you feel can be controlled. You may choose to draw those ‘things’ and colour it. If you do not wish to draw you may also just write with a coloured pen-keeping in mind that the colours represent your emotions.
Step 4: In the outer circle write/draw the things that can’t be controlled.
Step 5: Once you are done with the writing/drawing bit sit back and analyse what’s in front of you.
Recall The number of times you have tried to take control of the things in the out circle and how many times you felt frustrated and stressed out only because it wasn't in your control- wasn't meant to be in your control.
Adversity is inevitable because this is real life, but being emotionally and mentally strong is your choice!
I would like to end with a short yet reflective quote by Jessica Moore,
“Emotions influence every action we take. So, the more we are aware of our feelings, the more we gain conscious control over our lives.”
Check out how our blogger Vedica's video on coping with stress
We are going live on 30th APRIL 2021 5 PM to discuss how are team of young people is creatively coping in these times!
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This blog has been Conceptualised Vedica Karnik, Vidushi Puri our youth bloggers and Vriti Bajaj.
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Source References:
Emotional health picture: https://vsit.click/u9mqm
National Institutes of Health: https://vsit.click/r8tnv
Emotional vs Mental Health: https://vsit.click/2z01c
Useful information on emotional health: https://vsit.click/dowy3
Research on Mental Health by ICMR: https://vsit.click/j7nly
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