By TJ Martin
Last month we talked about Decluttering for Better Mental Health. Now let’s discuss Decluttering for Better Emotional Health. Emotional clutter is not traditional visible clutter like you find in a disorganized room or on your desk. This is internal clutter that can have devastating effects on your overall health.
Evaluate your current emotional state.
One of the first steps to decluttering yourself emotionally is to be honest with yourself about where your current emotional health is. Are you holding onto past hurts and trauma? Are you suffering from depression or extreme anxiety? What self-care are you doing to help your emotional health? Are you in healthy and supportive relationships?
Examine past hurts and trauma.
Holding onto past hurts and trauma that have not been dealt with can keep you from being emotionally healthy. What do you have in your past that is keeping you from moving forward to a better emotional state? Is there someone you are at odds with that you need to forgive. Forgiveness is more for you than the person who hurt you. Have you had trauma in your past that you need to deal with? You could have been in an unhealthy relationship. Maybe you were horribly bullied when you were in school. Whatever it is that you haven’t processed and dealt with, make it a priority to do that starting today. Please know that to heal from past hurts and trauma you may need the help of a mental health professional. Asking for the help you need is the first step to healing.
Establishing better emotional health.
Many people today are dealing with extreme anxiety and depression or dealing with the aftermath of an unhealthy relationship of some kind. We are living in a time where the lifestyle of most of us is fast forward all the time and we never take time to slow down and relax. All of these things take a toll on your emotional health. It is imperative if you are having these issues to get the help that you need. It may be as simple as talking with a good friend or having better self-care, which we will talk about in a minute. But you may need to seek the help of a mental health professional or even your clergy to get yourself into a good emotional state.
Evaluate your self-care.
Self-care is critical for all areas of your health and emotional health is not an exception to the rule. You may have heard said, “You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.” It is imperative to have time for self-care every day. You can take small steps that will have a huge impact.
Self-care steps for better emotional health:
- Practice gratitude—shift your focus to what is positive. Keep a gratitude journal and write down three things a day that you are grateful for.
- Laugh—spend time with a friend that makes you laugh or watch a funny show. Good self-care doesn’t always have to be serious.
- Enjoy your hobbies.
- Limit your exposure to negative media and input.
- Get plenty of rest.
- Spend time with your loved ones.
This list is endless. Self-care is a necessary habit that we all need to develop to improve our emotional health.
Decluttering for better emotional health is all about taking small steps to a healthy you. What past issues do you need to heal from? Do you need help with anxiety or depression? Are you taking care of you? Take one small step today to be emotionally fit.
The author is the founder of “Do The Dream,” a personal development coaching platform. Visit her website at www.dothedreamnow.com.