Examining Your Emotional Health

Happy Wellness Wednesday! Do you feel emotionally well this Wednesday? Shouldn't we all think about this question? We're all guilty of not checking in with ourselves as often as we should, it's easier said than done. Like checking our phones or brushing our teeth, it should come naturally to us.

So what are emotions? How can we examine them? According to Oxford, an emotion is a spontaneous, instinctive mental state brought on by one's surroundings, mood, or social interactions. A tangle of feelings followed by physical and psychological changes that impact our thoughts and actions is a common definition. Since emotions are the psycho-physiological methods in which we respond to an action, our impulses might inform us of what is happening as a means of addressing the issue by involving brain activity (Van Dyck et al., 2014).

According to Calvo et al. (2015), there are numerous physical manifestations of emotions that have a significant role in our social interactions, social outcomes, and the way we express our emotions to others. In my thesis, "Dancing, Mindfulness, and Our Emotions: Embracing the Mind, Body, and Sole," I delve into greater detail on emotions and wellness by identifying how mindfulness and the creative arts may help us identify, understand, and release our repressed emotions. In order to illustrate the relationships between emotions, renowned psychologist Robert Pluchik created the Wheel of Emotions in 1980. The diagram is shown below:

Robert Plutchik created the wheel of emotion, a tool that is crucial for improving self-awareness, communication, emotional intelligence, and the understanding and management of emotions. Better emotional regulation and interpersonal interactions result from its assistance in helping people recognize, express, and control their emotions. According to D'Ascenzo (2009), "since persons bodily resonate with emotions" (Collins, 2004, pg.6), positive emotions can restore reactions to circumstances by reflecting our self-consciousness.

My practice mostly involves children, thus I frequently stress the importance of educating them to recognize and control their emotions and to cultivate a healthy and strong subconscious mind. Which techniques can we use to help children learn to identify and control their emotions? A child's mental growth will benefit from learning how to express their emotions. Children who are aware of and in control of their emotions will feel capable of handling whatever challenge life presents. A child who can express "I'm mad at you," or "that hurts my feelings," is better equipped to handle disagreements politely rather than physically. Regretfully, emotional expression is often portrayed by society as a sign of weakness when, in reality, it is a sign of extraordinary power. As an adult or person in a position of authority, think about explaining a circumstance that made you feel a particular way. This is an excellent method of teaching children about emotions and how they are normal.

We should encourage children to share what triggers a certain emotion. Despite this, children's books, animation movies, and television shows emphasize it or even implore children to connect the word to the emotion's face (for instance, a red, frowning face would indicate an angry face). It is questioned whether kids comprehend the true meaning of emotion or what caused them to feel it, let alone recognize it. Families and classrooms need to support this strategy more often.

We are all aware of how important mental health is throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood; emotional well-being is essential for managing life's challenges and maintaining positive relationships.

Be well!