Balance in our lives
When we talk about balance in our lives, sometimes it's about the balance between our emotional health, physical health, and spiritual health. They are all important and in fact, they all compliment each other and work together in harmony (or disharmony). So often, emotional health is left out of the loop. There are a number of ways to help yourself or a child regain strong emotional health.
Yesterday I was watching a Tony Robbins video on YouTube. It was actually a very inspiring way to start the day, after my yoga routine. The clip was only 7 minutes long, but it talked about how in order to have good relationships with others, you first must have strong emotional health. Emotional health starts when we are born and how we are raised, and it can change in either direction as we grow older. Emotional health is not about money, but about the way we feel about ourselves. Are we happy? Are we proud of who we are? Do we understand our background and upbringing (whether good or bad) and feel secure with our feelings? Are we able to let go of the things that have gone wrong, learn from our mistakes, and set goals for our future? Do we treat people kindly and compassionately? Can we control our emotions? Do we have self-confidence? These are all questions that we would ask ourselves, and all deal with emotional health. If you have strong emotional health, you are probably a very happy person who is grateful in life.
What are some tips to improve our emotional health? For one, surround yourself around happy, healthy people. We are social creatures, and it's important to be able to talk to others about our lives, problem-solve together, and have fun together. As I mentioned before, physical health and spiritual health are connected to emotional health. Therefore, get some exercise, fresh air, and sunshine. Get plenty of sleep and eat healthy. Invite art and nature into your daily habits. Engage in meaningful, creative work. Challenge your creativity whether you think you are creative or not. Indulge in free time. Yes, it's important to have fun and relax. Listen to music that makes you smile and feel proud or courageous. Greg Louganis, who won two gold medals in diving in the 1984 Olympics and two more in 1988 said that he listened to the song "Believe in Yourself" from "The Wiz," which helped him focus and feel strong. Appeal to your other senses: surround yourself with things that look pleasing, feel good (think soft textures), and smell good. Read or listen to inspiring words. And lastly, be thankful for 10 things every day.
Your body is your first home:
“Breathing in, I arrive in my body.
Breathing out, I am home.”
Thich Nhat Hahn