Take care of your emotional fitness

Emotional fitness involves how you view yourself and your place in the world. Emotional fitness includes accepting and liking yourself, having confidence in your abilities, and the ability to cope with stress and challenges in healthy ways. But like physical fitness, achieving emotional fitness takes time and effort.

Here are a few work-out tips for your mind:

Practice positivity. Focus on what is great about your life, not the things that are causing you stress, and try to put a positive spin on negative thoughts. For example, instead of thinking “I completely blew that interview! I’m such a loser!” think “I did my best and learned from the experience. I’ll do much better next time.”

Take responsibility. Try not to blame situations or others for your unhappiness. They may have an influence, but you are in charge of how you want to live your life.

Take action. Don’t hope a problem will go away or that others will resolve it. Take steps to tackle the situation because feeling in control helps you cope and come up with creative solutions.

Build resilience. Resilience is about not letting a situation overwhelm you. This doesn’t mean not feeling sad, angry, frustrated, or fearful because of traumatic or difficult events; it just means you’re able to deal with them in spite of these feelings. You’re able to adapt, learn, and move on.

Manage stress. Stress affects everyone differently, and we all cope in our own way. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as exercise, talking to friends, or meditation.

Give yourself regular breaks. It’s important to give your brain time off. Pursue hobbies, read a book, go to the movies, or just spend time with family and friends.

Help others. Volunteering is good for you and your community. It gives you a sense of meaning and purpose to your life, serving as a reminder that you have experience, knowledge, and talent to share.

Maintaining emotional fitness also means knowing when to ask for help. If you’re having trouble coping or would like more information, call your assistance program to speak to a counselor.