Chaos to someone living with multiple sclerosis is different than chaos to a healthy person. Our kind of chaos includes a world of broken nerves hidden deep inside our bodies. The only problem is that there seems to be a sign posted at the entrance to this grand attraction that reads “No admittance to the general public.”
We have no way of showing people Continue reading
I woke up in tears yesterday. No reason. Nothing bad happened to me in the middle of the night. I didn’t wake up from a nightmare, my goldfish didn’t die and I wasn’t in a lot of unbearable pain. My emotions just went haywire all on their own. I hate when that happens. I take meds to help keep my emotions stabilized, but yesterday’s dose must have been a dud.
Multiple sclerosis has this way of messing with a person’s emotions. Sometimes there’s a Continue reading
Throughout the month of January, we have discussed our personal journeys in wellness, but one piece has been missing. Often when we describe wellness, we think of physical activity and healthy eating. But one important piece that hasn’t been discussed is emotional wellness. Emotional wellness is defined as “being attentive to your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, whether positive or negative” (University of California- Riverside).
In the daily hustle and bustle which is our lives, we forget to think about our feelings and often brush them off or push them away so that we can deal with another task we have been given. The idea behind emotional wellness is to not allow ourselves to push our feelings away.
Becoming aware of your thoughts and feelings can be difficult. One way to start becoming more aware is to journal. For those who have never kept a journal, starting is the hardest
part. In a previous blog, Dear Diary, I discuss some helpful tips to get started.
Perhaps writing about your feelings is not your thing, maybe talking more openly with a friend or family member would be easier. In everyday conversation, try tuning into your feelings and discussing them more openly. Avoid words like “good,” “fine,” or “OK.” These words are often used when asked how we are feeling, but are not “feeling” words. Some more descriptive feeling words can include “relaxed,” “alone,” or “delighted.” These words provide greater meaning to your emotions and will help you to better understand yourself.
In what ways do you maintain your emotional wellness?
References:
http://wellness.ucr.edu/emotional_wellness.html