Life is difficult. Many different problems come at us every day. Most days we can go through the gamut of emotions, from sadness to happiness. Without emotional fitness, these emotions can make it harder to accomplish anything. For example, a common mental illness like depression could more rightly be called an emotional illness. With depression, we struggle more with emotional fitness than mental fitness. In therapy for depression, we work more on finding an emotional balance. We need to learn to be emotionally fit.
Emotional Fitness
To truly understand it, we need to define it. Emotional means “relating to a person’s emotions.” While fitness means “the quality of being suitable to fulfill a particular role or task.” So together it emotional fitness would mean suitable to fulfill a particular role or task relating to a person’s emotions.
I think we can break down this definition a little more to make it clearer. While emotions don’t accomplish tasks they affect how we do things. For example, if someone received praise for work they did, you could feel jealous or upset. That emotion may push you to do better or talk meanly about the other person. Being emotionally fit allows us to process and understand emotions. Then we use those emotions to do better.
Also, emotional fitness allows us to fully process the emotions we feel. You see emotions can help us to do more and be better. When we understand the emotions we feel, we understand our goals and wants better. People who handle life’s ups and downs better generally have better emotional fitness.
Simple Things To Do
While not going into detail, there are some things we can do to start becoming emotionally fit. First, stop shoving away your emotions. When emotions happen take moment to recognize them. You don’t have to react immediately to the emotion. Take the time to recognize what you feel and why you feel that way. Then with that feeling, you can choose the best way to go.
Another thing that could help is taking time before bed and recognizing the feelings you had that day. Remember the reasons for each emotion. Did the emotion hinder? Did it increase negative talk? If so, what could you say that would help during that time or that emotion? These questions can help bring emotional fitness.
Conclusion
The emotionally fit deal better with the struggles of regular life. We all need to have emotional fitness. This means we all need to process and understand our emotions and use them to help us. With this, we can do anything.
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