Life always gives us challenges and life lessons for our development and personal evolution. Each of us in one way or another is dealing with some sort of life challenges. However, some people happen to manage these challenges better than others. You can find lots of examples where a big life challenge made a person much stronger and more successful in life, whereas a small problem another person faced caused him to go into a deep depression and mental breakdown.
So, why can some people handle anything and turn lemons into lemonade whereas others can’t deal with even the smallest of problems without feeling stressed?
In this article, we will share with you what emotional balance is and what are the principles of emotionally balanced people. Also, we will give you some helpful tips on how to improve your emotional health and become more emotionally balanced so that you can enjoy your life and deal with life challenges in a more harmonious way.
Emotional Health
We all manage stressful situations differently. Some of us can stay calm and balanced while solving a problem, while others violently show uncontrollable emotions.
It’s not a bad thing to be emotional, but it can negatively affect the course of events. And if you are an overly emotional person, you probably know about it.
The ability to remain calm in a stressful situation indicates a person’s emotional health. If you’re not emotionally healthy, chances are you’re going to run into trouble and turn a tiny problem into a big disaster.
The way you process your emotions determines how you will deal with issues as they arise in your life. If you’re emotionally disconnected with yourself, it makes it that much harder for you to process and cope with life circumstances and problems that you may encounter. When you’re able to truly find inner peace and balance your emotional self you’ll start to see life challenges in an entirely different way.
5 Principles Of Emotional Balance
The emotional balance may be an innate skill, but you can also develop it by starting to apply these 5 principles of emotionally balanced people.
#1: Wait for the right moment instead of acting right away
This will help you master the skill of impulsive control – the ability to stop and think about whether you want to act. By learning to control yourself, you can take a break and evaluate the situation, and potentially committed actions in the long term.
For example, a friend or family member might make you angry. In response, you can immediately say or do something that may disrupt the relationship. The control skill will help you to choose an action that matches your best intentions.
#2: Take a pause
Emotionally stable people are patient – they can take a pause before reacting to the situation. If you are not such a person, remember how you reacted in a fit of anger? Now, think about what your response would be if you were patient for one hour.
If the first principle was about choosing the best action, this one is about sitting with your emotions and not taking any action. During this time, you will find a solution that will correspond to your intentions in the best way.
#3: The healing power of time
Acceptance doesn’t mean being weak and giving up or letting stress get the better of you. On the contrary, it is about understanding your emotions and believing that you will be OK.
Time heals! The feelings of sadness or frustration are temporary – they will gradually go away as time passes.
When you are emotionally imbalanced you may think that you will never get out of this state. Now, remember the last time you felt like this. You may have thought that this tough time would never be over, but you eventually felt better. And it always gets better as time heals!
#4: Make time for yourself
Emotionally stable people are organized people who know their self-worth and value their time. They know that taking care of themselves is the way they replenish their resources and become stronger.
Self-care for such people is a daily practice.
They have certain tools that they can use during times of stress to relieve it and regain their calm: meditation, yoga, sports, meeting a friend, a сup of tea, etc.
So, next time when you feel like stress is taking control over you, instead of allowing your emotions to guide you to self-destructive mode, focus on your inner peace – go to yoga class, do some breathing exercises, or meditate. Turn off your restless mind and listen to your inner voice!
#5: Focus on good things
Where attention goes, energy flows and manifestation occurs. You will attract whatever is most often and most powerfully on your mind and in your heart. So don’t focus on “what’s wrong.” You will only attract more of the same. Don’t waste your precious energy on something you don’t want to attract into your life! Shift your focus on good things instead. Remember that there is always something to be grateful for. Keep a positive mindset!
Count your blessings, not your troubles!
Counting your blessings puts you into a state of gratitude which opens the flow to attract more happiness and joy into your life. When you turn your attention to all the goodness that you already have you’ll find that you’ll begin to see things you had not noticed before and feel more appreciative of your life. With this kind of mindset, you will be able to deal with your life challenges in a more balanced way and see the right solutions for your problems more clearly.
Are You Emotionally Balanced?
After reading a bit about what it means to be emotionally balanced, how do you feel? Do you believe that you are emotionally balanced, or are there some areas of your life that you could use a little change in?
According to Dan Mager, MSW, “there are several levels of awareness involved in cultivating emotional balance:
#1: Become consciously aware that you are experiencing an emotion
Although you may not know specifically what the feeling is, it is important to simply notice and acknowledge that you have some feeling.
#2: Identify the particular emotion
It may be helpful to close your eyes, turn your focus inward, and allow yourself to experience that emotion in your body. Different emotions are typically experienced in different parts of the body.
For example, anger might manifest as tightness in your neck and shoulders, sadness as an ache in your chest, fear as a knot in your stomach, and joy as warmth in your heart.
#3: Put the emotion into words
“I’m feeling anxious.” “I’m feeling angry.” “I’m feeling sad.”
Putting the emotions you experience into words by making these simple self-statements can create the space you can use to respond intentionally rather than react automatically and unconsciously.
How to Become Emotionally Balanced?
The good thing is that there are plenty of ways in which you can learn to balance your emotions, learn self-love, and see life in a more positive way. Here are some quick tips from Dan Mager, MSW to improve your emotional health you can start with.
#1: Feel your feelings
Instead of blocking your emotions or denying them allow yourself to feel whatever you’re experiencing. Write down your negative emotions instead of acting on them so you can vent.
#2: Grow daily
Every day challenge yourself to take risks. By doing this, you allow yourself to grow and boost your self-love. The risks don’t have to be hard. For example, you can talk to someone new, or learn a new skill, or even set a workout goal.
#3: Focus on the present moment
You see, usually, our mental health becomes challenged when we focus too much on what was or what could be. Though it is important to have structure and plans in your life, allowing them to consume your mind can be detrimental. It is easier to deal with reality when you start focusing on the present moment and stop worrying about the future.
#4: Laugh more
Try to find the bright side of things and laugh a little more through the ups and downs in life.
#5: Be grateful
Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, it’s great to show gratitude for what you do. Start reciting positive things about your life on a daily basis. Things like “I’m happy I have a job” and “I’m blessed I have a home” can start to make you appreciate more of what you have now.
#6: Make your heart sing
Connecting to something larger than yourself makes your life purposeful and meaningful. Do more of what makes your heart sing. It could be meditation, aerial yoga class, or seeing friends more often.
#7: Watch who you surround yourself with
You may need to take a look at your relationships to determine if they’re healthy. Having people who give off negative energy can certainly affect your emotional health. You may need to separate yourself from them as you learn to heal. Do this from a place of love and compassion, rather than righteousness or by wronging anyone.
The Bottom Line
Emotional stability is all about a balanced attitude to challenging situations and daily problems. By practicing the above principles and tips and learning how to respond to stress, you can live more joyfully and be a support to others.