Emotional Health

Emotional health spans aspects of well-being related to your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Looking after emotional health boasts a range of health benefits, from reduced risk of and improved recovery from sickness, disease, and injury to improved mental health and work performance. Good emotional health involves managing emotions well, adapting to change, coping with disagreements and challenges, and maintaining a strong sense of purpose and a supportive social network. If you’re struggling with aspects of emotional health, a mental health professional can provide you with tools to cope and thrive — asking for support when you need it is a key part of emotional health.

Common Questions & Answers

How can I improve my emotional health?

Emotional self-care involves relaxing activities, giving yourself the space to speak to people you love, and declining needlessly stressful tasks. Practicing acceptance and gratitude, improving self-love, and engaging in regular acts of kindness can boost emotional health.

Poor emotional health can lead to feeling run down, irritable, tired, and easily distracted; experiencing low self-esteem; lapses in looking after physical health; and sleep difficulties. If these feelings disrupt daily life, your emotional health may need some TLC.

Stress places high demands on you. Poor emotional health means you may have low resilience to stressful situations or life changes. If you avoid coping with stress, it can become chronic, which may start to affect long-term emotional health.

Exercise, meditation, leaning on your social support network, and talking to a therapist can support you during stressful or challenging periods. Daily practices like journaling may also help you process daily life and significant changes.

Friendships and social connections promote a sense of belonging, boost self-esteem, and help to counteract stressors. They can also encourage healthy behaviors and help you process stress and grief. Loneliness can increase a person’s risk of mood disorders.

Meet Our Experts In Emotional Health
Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up-to-date, and accurate.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. About Emotional Well-Being. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024.

ALL EMOTIONAL HEALTH ARTICLES

See All Articles