The Ongoing Quest: “Finding and maintaining emotional wellness”

Article

The Ongoing Quest: “Finding and maintaining emotional wellness”

– 26 Aug 2024

Aconversation forwomen.

But first, a quick question: does anyone remember a time when their therapist said “you have to learn to sit with your feelings”? Well I do. And I was livid. That was the feeling I felt instantly. It was written all over my face too, and she smiled and said, “you seem a little upset with me, would you like to talk about that a little”. That ladies (and gentlemen if we have any here), was the turning point and the beginning of a beautiful and sometimes painful journey of getting to knowself-better. I allowed myself to feel whatever it was I needed to feel, to make room for those feelings, to sit with them, until I was ready, able and willing to process them. There is such magic in that, and we hope to share a little of that with you today, despite acknowledging that we are not experts in this area of health and wellness.

A huge part of emotional wellness is the ability to successfully cope with life’s stressors, while allowing yourself to feel your emotions, control them (versus being controlled by them) and then handling whatever life demands that you handle at that moment. Emotional wellness includes having healthy strategies to cope with hard times, adapting well to change and having the ability to bounce back from very hard situations. This skill can be called ‘resilience’. The opposite, namely, emotional distress, includes experiencing feelings of depression, anxiety, or emotional numbness, usually exhibited through irritability or aggression, fatigue and sleep changes etc. For some, it may even start appearing as physical symptoms like stomach pain and headaches.

If you can, pause and take a moment right now, to recognize your emotions:

Grant yourself 60 seconds to think about and recognise how you feel,

Separate yourself from your work or other distractions around you,

Take a seat or lay down in a quiet place,

Allow yourself to sink into the area you are occupying,
Relax your shoulders and take 3 deep breathes in through your nose, and exhale slowly through the mouth.
Try to recognise the emotions that you have experienced during the day. If you have a journal, jot them down and make a roadmap of what may have caused such emotions.
This exercise may help you to be more attentive to yourself, knowing how you are feeling and helping you identify your own triggers. This is called mindfulness; a form of meditation where you concentrate on being fully aware of your current sensations and feelings, without interpreting or judging them.

Now,let’s look at how we canprioritize and manage emotional wellness. Lady Liberty suggests a holistic approach tosupport yourself to reach optimumemotional wellness. Already ,if you managed to,you have taken time to sit still andmeditate about your day.Continuous prioritization of how you feel and having a good outlet is important.Try this sometime, if youwere unable toindulge us now. Other options includecreating a beautifulcalming or uplifting musicplaylist, rejuvenating yourself with a relaxing soak, making yourself a good cuppa and catching up on yourfavourite show or book. Spending quality time with yourself isself-care, and relaxing after a hard day of workor studyis important.In addition, embracing a balanced lifestyle, nourishing eating habits, and regular exercise can truly transform howyou feel emotionally, bringing a sense of calm and joyto life.A littlejoie de vivre!Together, these practices create a harmonious rhythm that not only stabilizes our energy levels, but also nurtures a deeper sense of inner peace and resilience.

We also suggest that you create a strong support system for yourself if you do not have one already. Invite the women around you for tea (or other beverages *wink*) and talk about your journey with those you love and trust. Social connections have a positive impact on the physical , psychological, spiritual and social wellbeing of a person. With intention, planning and effort, these connections may also be of mutual financial benefit where women can support each other’s businesses, ideas and jobs.

If you are far from loved ones, be open to visit church, to volunteer or try women wellness organisations around you. Organisations such as Lady Liberty are run by wonderful women and professionals, who always strive to be available to help. Lady liberty exists to create a safe online and physical space to assist women in their daily lives. We strive for social justice and advocacy for marginalised women and we want to impact women in South Africa and beyond. Watch this space! #WellnessDayLoading

In conclusion, whether the cause of your feeling mentally unwell is stress, grief, hormones, difficult relationships etc., getting professional help is highly recommended and has been proven to be impactful. If you cannot afford private therapy or counselling, please explore free existing organisationssuch as a local churches, South African Depression and Anxiety Group, medical doctors to rule out medical conditions, spiritual healers etc.

The journey of healing will take some time, but it is very rewarding take. All you have to do is start and remember that you are not alone.

#Wellness #MentalHealth #GetHelp #YouAreNotAlone #LadyLibertySA

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To learn more about Lady Liberty SA’s efforts to empower women, contact us or donate to support our cause. Together, we can make a difference and bring hope to those in need.

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