Top Tips to Boost Your Emotional Well-Being

Emotional well-being is about much more than whether you feel happy or sad. Your emotional well-being impacts your mood, motivation, and relationships. It plays a big role in the way you deal with stress and challenges.¹ And it can influence the way you eat, sleep, and move. For example, being anxious or worried might keep you up at night, which can affect your mood and appetite. If you’re feeling down, you may be less likely to exercise or make good food choices. Learn more about how your emotions and your health are connected.

There are many simple things you can do to improve your emotional well-being. Here are some practical, everyday ways to get started:

Practice mindfulness.

What’s mindfulness? It’s a way to slow down and become more aware of what’s happening right now—and the feelings and sensations you have about it. Mindfulness has been shown to help manage anxiety and stress. Some research even suggests that it may help reduce pain and boost the immune system.² Here are some ways to bring mindfulness into your daily life:

• Meditate. Meditation is an ancient way to focus on the mind-body connection. It may help improve emotional well-being, reduce stress, and increase relaxation. Get started with this guided mindfulness meditation.
• Eat mindfully. This means eating slower, paying attention to your senses, and enjoying every bite. With this approach, you can prevent overeating or emotional eating if you’re under stress.³ Try these tips for mindful eating.
• Take time to reflect. It’s important to pause and think about your experiences and how you feel about them. It can help you understand what gives you energy and what causes stress. Try thinking about what you’re grateful for as a way to get started.
• Breathe. Mindful breathing can help with anxiety and stress. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique: breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven more, and slowly exhale for eight seconds. Repeat the pattern for four cycles of breath and try this exercise twice a day.
  

Want to learn more about mindfulness? Take our mindfulness quiz to see how you’re doing. And explore even more ways to add mindfulness to your daily life.

Take time for yourself.

Finding “me time” is important. Consider making time each day to do something that brings you joy. It doesn’t have to be a luxury spa visit or an expensive meal. Even small, simple things can really help. Here are a few ways to get started:

• Read, paint, listen to music, or experience other kinds of art.
• Walk, ride a bike, or move your body in other ways.
• Talk to a friend, either on the phone or in person.
• Spend time on a hobby that you enjoy.
• Join an in-person or online group focused on one of your interests or a cause you care about.

How healthy is your current self-care routine? Take our online quiz to find out.

Get help when you need it.

Everyone has stresses and challenges in their life—and everyone could use some help to deal with them. Here are a few ways to get support if you need it:

• Talk with your health care provider about how you’re feeling—including any health conditions you have or medications you take.
• Talk with a therapist.
• Consider physical or art therapy.
• Join a support group.
• Talk with a friend. See how connecting with others can reduce stress and improve your emotional well-being. Want to make new connections? Get tips to make friends as an adult.

Take care of your emotional well-being with MOBE.

These emotional well-being tips are just the beginning. Explore more ways to build healthier habits and improve your overall health—with help from a MOBE Guide. Get started today.

References:

1. "Emotional Wellness Toolkit," National Institutes of Health, updated August 8, 2022, accessed August 9, 2022, https://www.nih.gov/health-information/emotional-wellness-toolkit.

2. “Mindfulness Meditation: A Research-Proven Way to Reduce Stress,” American Psychological Association (APA), updated October 30, 2019, accessed August 9, 2022, https://www.apa.org/topics/mindfulness/meditation.

3. “Mindful Eating,” Help Guide, updated March 2022, accessed August 9, 2022, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/diets/mindful-eating.htm.