What’s your biggest concern at this very moment? Now imagine your best friend in your shoes. What advice would you give them? Maybe you would tell them to take a deep breath and get a little perspective. When they see that this will pass, calm often takes over.
Why not show yourself the same compassion?
According to Mercedes Timko, MD, a doctor in Penn Medicine’s Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Department, many people have trouble embracing self-compassion, even though it’s central to our emotional health.
“Without self-compassion, it’s difficult to foster any kind of mental emotional wellness,” Dr. Timko says.
She offers these tips for improving your self-compassion and enhancing your emotional health.
Factors that Affect Emotional Well Being and How to Take Control
Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep isn’t just good for our bodies, it also helps balance our moods. “When we eat fast food and try to get by on a few hours of sleep, it will enhance our negative stress response, leaving us feeling especially sensitive,” Dr. Timko says.
Another essential piece of the puzzle is stress management. There are so many ways for stress to creep into our lives. We need to be proactive about how we cope with it. Dr. Timko suggests meditation.