Do you feel easily irritable? Do you feel stuck and trapped at work or in other situations? You work hard all day, yet sleep doesn’t come easy? You don’t feel on top of your game for a long time now but cannot pinpoint the exact thing pulling you down? Welcome to the world where anxiety, stress, burnout, and unexplainable fatigue have become the norm. If you feel any of these, your body and mind are screaming for help to combat emotional exhaustion! Time to amp up your emotional fitness, urban professionals!
We are so often lost in daily routines that we barely pause to check in with how we are feeling. Though at a subconscious level, it is our feelings that drive actions. We feel in a certain way and react or respond to circumstances and situations. But the sad thing is it all happens on autopilot where we don’t even realize what we feel. When was the last time you paused to examine your feelings? The past couple of years have been tumultuous, and the uncertainties of life, increased challenges, and constant changes have heightened anxiety, stress, and burnout. Now more than ever, it is essential for us to invest in our emotional health.
What is emotional fitness?
The pandemic taught us the importance of caring for our bodies and staying physically fit. For a holistic transformation, the logical next step is taking care of our minds. When we speak of emotional fitness, it is our ability to manage emotions, cope with challenging situations and have positive relationships. It is impossible to envision a life without problems. But good emotional health builds resilience and helps us bounce back from setbacks. It is a state of optimal functioning of our thoughts and emotions.
Does emotional fitness matter at work?
We spend an astounding one-third of our lives at work. With changing work-life dynamics, insecurities, work overload, complex and competitive environments, the only way to put our best foot forward is by effectively managing our torrent of emotions.
Employers are increasingly looking at emotional agility as a prerequisite for a thriving workplace. Emotionally fit employees tend to make fewer mistakes, are self-motivated problem-solvers who accept criticism well and showcase resilience in the face of challenges. So yes, emotional health does matter a great deal at work. But how do you stay emotionally agile when your mind is constantly in overdrive, bombarded with thoughts and feelings? Anxiety about deadlines, fear of not being adequate, distress over accepting thoughts as facts, and resentment over others’ success, how can you possibly deal with so much negativity and remain positive?
Related Read: Tackling demotivation at work-my 3-step approach
4 Steps to recalibrate your emotions
Here’s how you can make the switch from emotional exhaustion to emotional fitness
Awareness: Take time to understand your emotions. Self-reflect, identify and become aware of what you are feeling and where you are feeling it (physically).
Acceptance: Now, move over from awareness to acceptance. Don’t fight the emotion; acknowledge and label it.
Experience: Permit yourself to feel the emotion completely. If you try to shrug it off, it will come back with a vengeance. Experiencing it allows it to fade away.
Reflect on your Response: Was the emotional response justified under the circumstance? If yes, what can you do to ease the emotion (self-care, talk to someone)? If the feeling is not justified, reflect on the trigger and reframe the situation for a better and positive response the next time around.
As with physical fitness, emotional fitness is something you achieve over time with consistent mindful efforts.
Simplify happiness with these 12 commandments to Live Your Best Life
Build your emotional muscle, hit the emotional gym
Gratitude: Research proves heartfelt appreciation for all that you have lowers stress and helps you be an optimist (Journal, self-care, mood diaries, emotional wheel)
Mindfulness: Being completely aware of the present, internally and externally and not living on autopilot requires immense practice. (Breathwork, nature walk, mindfulness programs)
Yes, mindset matters for a happier life.
Resilience: You cannot control many things in life, but you are certainly in control of your response to situations. Resilient people respond positively and bounce back from challenges without bitterness. (Reflect on accomplishments, find a sense of purpose, and healthy physical habits).
Social Connection: Our social connections influence and impact our emotional health and happiness. (Volunteer, friendly co-workers, and be in touch with friends and family)
Emotions can wreak havoc and displace even the seemingly most balanced people. It’s important to treat emotional health as seriously as physical health. A healthy mind in a healthy body is what constitutes a happy soul.