Emotional
wellness is an important part of developing longterm sobriety!
Web link:
http://www.student-health.buffalo.edu/lwc/emotion.shtml
Emotional well
being is best defined as the ability to feel and express the entire range of
human emotions and to control them. It includes the capacity to manage one's
feelings and related behaviors including realistic assessments of one's
limitations, development of autonomy, and ability to cope effectively with
stress.
Life experiences
produce strong emotional responses in all of us. The experience of emotion is
what makes human being unique. We are capable of a broad range of feelings-
love and hate, joy and sorrow, excitement and fear, embarrassment and pride,
greed and compassion, jealousy and appreciation, ecstasy and despair,
contentment and anger.
All of these
feelings have implications for how we view ourselves, our relationships to
others, and to the broader world. In order to deeply experience the richness of
life, we must be willing to acknowledge what we feel and embrace sadness and
pain as well as joy and peace. We are challenged to allow ourselves to
experience the entire range of human emotions, not just the pleasant or
familiar ones.
Emotions are
enhancements-bringing important messages that teach us about ourselves and our
impact on others, producing the power to move into action and change, and
enrichments giving a deeper sense of who we are and what we value.
To best cultivate
a philosophy of emotional wellness, it is important to develop an awareness of
your emotions, acceptance and understanding of your feelings and ways of
expressing your feelings that are respectful to yourself and others. This
process begins by realizing that you are a special, unique being worthy of
respect and love.
Choose a face
that represents you today...
Stressed,
confused, excited, lonely, sad, angry, or peaceful.
How long have you
felt this way...
Is that feeling
likely to change...
Are you okay with
how you are feeling...
Exercise : You
are unique. Who am I?
Before you begin
to explore your self-esteem, please think about and answer the following
questions. Write down your initial impressions or thoughts. It is important to
be honest in your answers:
Three positive
words that describe myself...
What single
factor contributes most to my self-esteem...
What do I
consider to be my greatest accomplishment...
What would my
best friend say is my most important attribute...
What was the most
positive message my parents gave me...
What would I most
like to be remembered for in my life...
--------
Connie Palladino,
Ph.D.
Please take your
time now to consciously reflect on your recent past. Which things, people or
subconscious beliefs about life has your emotional well-being depended upon?
Can you see the
self-defeating patterns that have formed through the years, as evidenced by the
repetition of unwanted, unnecessary negative emotions?
My 'addictions'
are...
Corresponding
emotions that disturb me are...
Tips for
Improving Self-Esteem
1. Set healthy
goals, take enthusiastic steps, and accumulate meaningful accomplishment in
your life. Take control of your actions and lifestyle.
2. Cultivate the
habit of looking at the positive sides of your self, all people, and all things
in life.
3. Take
deliberate steps to develop skills and talents to greater levels.
4. Take life's
changes as challenges - opportunities for personal growth, rather than as
problems which burden you.
5. Imagine
successful events, even if you feel under-confident. Utilize meditation and/ or
visualization.
6. Be realistic
about your abilities, be optimistic about your possibilities. Use humor as a
means of taking your limitations lightly.
7. Accept yourself
as a growing, ever-evolving being that is not 'stuck' in the past or present.
Realize the power you have to develop in the way in which you choose.
8. Practice
unconditional acceptance for your self and for others.
9. Work towards
satisfying your needs in all eight wellness dimensions.
1. Consciously
recognize the stress symptoms you experience.
2. Mentally
pinpoint the specific stressor(s) (e.g. rude friend, tough exam, noise in the
hall).
3. Choose your
basic strategy. Either:
a) Avoid it (if a
positive outcome results)
b) Ignore it
('mental blocking')
c) Eliminate it (
total elimination is often impossible)
d) Adapt and cope
with it
4. Choose your
specific strategy. Just as there are hundreds of stressors, there are hundreds
of ways to manage them. Note: Your stress experience, whether it leads to
positive or negative results, is totally created by you in your mind. The more
fully conscious you are of your inner reactions to outside events, the more
control you can have in making them lead to positive outcomes.