By Michelle Wilson, wellness program manager
Emotional Wellness in the Month of Love
February is the month that many of us celebrate Valentine’s Day, which is a time to honor love in all its forms. This is also a time when we can start looking forward to the coming of spring and new life growing around us.
At La Clinica, we focus on the theme of emotional well-being in February, remembering that taking care of our emotions is an important part of overall health. We define emotional wellness as being based on our ability to understand and express our feelings in a healthy, balanced way. It includes our general mood each day and the ways we work with feelings when things happen in our lives.
One way to keep our feelings balanced is to remember to focus on those that bring us happiness and a sense of peace. Love is one of the most important feelings in any person’s life. Our ability to feel love for other people, pets, the world around us, and ultimately ourselves is something that gives our lives meaning. Focusing on loving feelings can help us manage challenges in our lives, and it helps us enjoy more deeply the good things that happen to us.
Try this simple activity to help you remember to focus on love in your life and bring yourself more peace and emotional balance.
Take a few minutes at the start of each day and ask yourself these questions:
- Who do I love?
- Who would I like to connect with today to share my positive feelings?
- Am I having challenging feelings that I’d like to share with someone I trust? If so, who can I share them with?
- What do I love about the world around me and how can I express my feelings of being thankful today?
You may choose to write your answers in a journal or notebook or simply close your eyes, think about the answers, and let them lead you into your day with a focus on emotional wellness. Taking a few minutes to do this each day can support you and those you love in living more peacefully and with greater happiness.
Tip: Consider sending a card to someone you care about for Valentine’s Day. This may be your spouse or partner, or it could be a friend, family member, or co-worker. Celebrate love in all its forms this month!