What is wellness?
Dimensions of Wellness 
Social Wellness 
Emotional Wellness
Physical Wellness
Occupational Wellness
Environmental Wellness
Spiritual Wellness
Wellness Thoughts 1
Wellness Thoughts 2 
Emotional Wellness
you're more likely to catch the flu
Emotional wellness is easy to understand by its absence. We can all relate to emotional imbalance, old baggage, mental disorders, ups and downs, depression, the blues, the blahs and the yuks. These are all part of a mental landscape of internal strife, sadness, anxiety and unrest.
From that place, emotional wellness would seem to live not within our grasp, but in a land far, far away. To say that emotional illness is common would almost be an understatement.
So many people suffer
The NIMH says: "Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older - about one in four adults - suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year."
Only about six percent of that group has what NIMH considers a 'serious mental illness.'
"Â In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44."
Jeez. That makes self-described mental torment a lot more common than the flu. If H1N1 is a 'pandemic,' what's this?
On the other hand, around three-quarters of the population do not define themselves as having a 'diagnosable mental disorder.' Still, from there to emotional wellness may be a huge leap.
Vaulting over the bar
The bar of wellness is high. To vault over the bar of emotional wellness, think emotional yoga or gymnastics training, and you'll be on the right track. It requires a vast network of skills:
- We need to stay flexible and open to learning new behaviors.
- We need to create coping mechanisms solid enough to be there when we need them but pliant enough to respond well to unanticipated upheavals.
- We need healthy self-esteem, and a high emotional IQ to help us use our internal strengths for successfully navigating the external world.
- We need to accept that life is going to throw us some curve balls and still keep a sense of excitement, wonder and joy.
- We need to know where our boundaries are, and keep ourselves whole even as we live with compassion, connection and outreach to others.
The bottom line is this. When we are emotionally healthy and we walk into a room it brightens, because we are brimming with love, peace, joy, positivity and connection.
The first step to healthy change
If it sounds like a tall order, it is. But since we live with our emotions, why not make the effort to mold them to your wishes instead of being thrown around by them? Try this for a starting point.
Connect within.
Connection to your own emotional landscape. Don't be afraid to get in there and take personal responsibility for how you are feeling. Sharpen your ability to recognize behaviors that no longer serve you well.
That's the first step, and like the joke about stepping off a cliff, that first step is a big one.
Where would you place yourself on an emotional wellness scale? What advice do you have for others?
Tell us your opinion about emotional wellness
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