The emotional dimension recognizes awareness and acceptance and healthy expression of one’s feelings such as happiness, hope, love, joy, sadness, anger, fear, and/or stress. Emotional wellness encompasses optimism, self-esteem, and self-acceptance. It includes the capacity to manage feelings and related behaviors including the realistic assessment of limitations, development of autonomy, and ability to cope effectively with stress. Emotional wellness also includes intimacy, independence, and interdependence. Awareness of and accepting a wide range of feelings in oneself and others is essential to wellness. It is important to take on challenges, take risks, and recognize conflict as being potentially healthy. Managing life in personally rewarding ways, and taking responsibility for one's actions, will help to see life as an exciting, hopeful adventure. It is better to be aware of and accept these feelings than to deny them, and it is better to be optimistic in an approach to life than pessimistic.
Tips for optimal emotional wellness:
1. Tune-in to your thoughts and feelings.
2. Cultivate an optimistic attitude.
3. Seek and provide support.
4. Learn time management skills.
5. Practice stress management techniques.
6. Discover your specific stress relievers.
7. Generalized anxiety resources
8. Accept and forgive yourself.