There are tons of things that can affect our emotional well-being. We are all unique and all deal with things differently. What makes one of us feel very anxious, stressed or depressed might not affect another person in the same way. Sometimes we can’t say what it is that’s making us feel crappy – there’s no logical explanation, but we know we are under the weather emotionally and sometimes it’s so bad we feel like we can’t cope.
Feeling scared, anxious, on edge, sad, energy-less or feeling bad about ourselves or unable to cope happens to most people from time to time. Sometimes the really tough stuff passes and people look back and wonder how they ever made it through – but they did! Talking problems through with someone can really help a person to feel better and make a plan to handle hard times, get stronger and move on up.
There are lots of experiences and events that can affect our emotional well-being in the short or long term –
- bullying or abuse
- the media
- experiencing crime
- failing at something
- being around people who make us feel crappy
- smoking, drugs, alcohol
- damaging relationships
- feeling pressured to do things we don’t want to do
- not having basic needs met (house, warmth, positive relationships, food, water)
- being discriminated against
- having too much responsibility
- feeling shame or embarrassment
- not having enough freedom
- having a mental illness or mental health problem
- having a physical illness
- being affected by disability
- bereavement (how someone feels when someone dies or is no longer around)
- worries about sexuality
- divorce, separation, change
- problems at school
- problems at home
- not being allowed or able to talk or communicate
- feeling hopeless or direction-less
- learning or using unhealthy coping strategies (like self- harm)
- change or conflict at home or with our friends
- being permanently stressed, scared or anxious
- being lonely or isolated
- facing discrimination because of who we are
All these things can contribute to someone feeling emotionally unfit and in some circumstances can affect a persons mental health.
If someone is concerned about their emotional well-being, or mental health, it is a good idea to talk to someone about what is happening.