Emotional Health Start: Cherish Your Friends
When we think about safeguarding our health, we generally think in terms of activities – exercising, eating right, and getting enough sleep. But an often overlooked component of good health is our emotional health. As in the quality of relationships with friends and family. People who enjoy good, strong relationships are healthier. They feel less stress generally and tend to deal with stressful situations better. Cherishing your ties to family and friends is as important to your health as good nutrition and exercise.
Loneliness in otherwise healthy people was associated with increased blood pressure and decreased heart capacity, according to doctors at the University of Chicago.
Positive connections between people are a source of mental and physical well-being. Negative feelings toward those around you are a source of mental and physical strain. Realize that your anger will hurt you more than it will hurt the target of your enemy.
Brown Medical School doctors found that people with high levels of hostility were six percent more likely to suffer from heart disease.
Guilt is Unhealthy to Emotional Health
Did you do something you feel guilty about? Wallowing in disappointment over something you did is not productive. Not only are you going to mentally exhaust yourself, you can also compromise your body’s ability to ward off disease. Forgive yourself, learn from your blunder and move on. If necessary, try to make amends to someone you may have hurt.
Feelings of guilt, according to a study by doctors at the University of Hull in England, interfere with the body’s production of the antibody immunoglobulin A. Immunoglobulin A protects the body against infection.
Last but not least…
Always Do What You Say You Will Do
People who do what they say they are going to do tend to be healthier than people who don’t follow through. Develop a long-standing habit of reliability. You will benefit your health and a more positive life will follow.
In a study of those suffering from a chronic illness, University of Iowa researchers found that those who tended to be highly conscientious, goal directed and dependable were 36 percent less likely to die prematurely.
Emotional health. Learn it. Live it. Love it.