Eight Dimensions of Wellness: Emotional Wellness

...yes I know it's been awhile it's been a chaotic 3 weeks of what feels like nonstop ripping and running with traveling, work, and just life but I'm back!!! Now that things have slowed down I have time to relax and take a deep breathe to analyze, explore, and evaluate myself and the things that have been going on. With that being said I want to begin a series called Stirring Up the Tea with Tee where I will explore the Eight Dimensions of Wellness, how they pertain to my life, and challenge you to explore each dimension of wellness in your life as well.

Wellness is being in good physical and mental health. Due to their ability to impact each other it's important to make healthy choices for both your physical and mental well-being. You can still strive for wellness while experiencing challenges in your life. Progress to always being the best version of yourself. I'm not perfect by any means and we all have our share of challenges but I'm learning the more I'm willing to open up and express my vulnerabilities the easier it is for me to evaluate myself to grow.

The first dimension I will explore is the Emotional wellness which encompasses optimism, self-esteem, self-acceptance, and the ability to experience and cope with feelings independently and interpersonally. Emotional wellness includes: practicing self-care; fostering inner resources and resiliency; finding unique ways of coping with stressors; creating satisfying relationships; empathizing with others; being realistic about expectations and time; and knowing when to ask for help.

First I have to say how appreciative and grateful I am for my support system. My family and friends are amazing. For one they have to put up with me lol and two they're just amazing because I said so lol no but they have so much to offer the world and are all uniquely themselves with such positive, loving, and caring energy and they are there for me whenever I need them. They motivate, inspire, and challenge me to strive to be better because they are all from different areas and walks of life providing me with different perspectives in which I am ignorant to.

For those of you who don't know I have been in San Diego, CA for a little over a year now and with my family and a lot of my friends back on the East coast and in the Midwest it will never be easy for me to be this far away. I have my ups and downs of emotional break downs of simply just wanting to go home. Sometimes I cope with it by trying to stay busy going out and partying, reading a book, or going to sleep anything to take my mind off of it. Other times I look through my photo gallery at pictures and videos smiling and laughing and sometimes just flat out crying. I always have to remind myself that I am human and we are emotional beings with feelings and emotions and it's ok to cry no matter how optimistic and confident I am that I able to be vulnerable and have these moments. These moments are always reminders and sometimes a wake up call for me to take care of myself. If I don't take care of myself I won't even be able to be in a space to fully embrace and accept all that my family and friends have to offer. It can be as simple as sitting by myself in silence (meditating), taking myself on a date, going to get a mani and pedi, journaling, working out, or going for a walk .

Since I've moved my relationships with my family have gotten stronger we're forced to stay in contact more since the distance is greater. I stay on FaceTime or on the phone and I have gotten a few visitors as well. Consistent communication is vital in having satisfying relationships and learning to empathize. In my conversations I am trying to take notice how quick I am to respond to certain things and interject my own experiences versus actually listening to others and fully understanding their perspective and experiences.

Emotional wellness is probably the toughest dimension for me and where I am eager to see a lot of growth. I'm still working on ways to better cope with my vulnerabilities, learning to accept different things about myself and my situation that I cannot change, building and creating relationships, and taking care if myself in all aspects.

Don't be afraid to stir up the tea in your own life; explore your own emotional wellness with some of the following questions: What are some ways you cope with your own vulnerabilities, can they be improved? What are things are you learning to accept about yourself and your situation? How are you building and creating relationships? What are some ways that you practice self-care?