Understanding your emotions is another aspect of emotional health. In other words, how are you feeling about the present situation; how are you feeling about your age; how are you feeling about what you are reading here? Understanding your own feelings your own emotions and accepting them for what they are while remaining positive is key to healthy emotions.

• Acknowledge your emotions. It is healthy to express emotion.
• Accept your emotions as the thermometer to how you feel in a particular situation or relationship.
• Strive to remain as positive as possible.

One of the overpowering emotions for many people of all ages during this COVID-19 pandemic is fear. – Fear of the unseen virus and fear of what might happen to you personally or to a loved one. Fear eats away at you until you deal with it directly.

• Sign up for a free copy of “7 Ways to Live Your Life to the Fullest Right Now” on AgeEsteem.com. Chapter 2 teaches you to Tame Your Fears.
• Try putting aside a “worry time” each day. Make this a time when you face your fears and make the rest of the day worry free knowing you will worry at the designated time.
• Journal about your fears. Put your fears down in writing and leave them there.
• Do you have a friend you can speak to about your fears? Sharing your fears can take some of the sting out of them.

I believe we actually are at an advantage as the elders of the world, because we have lived through so much more than the younger generations. We are able to place things into perspective. We have seen enough to know that this too shall pass.

Age esteem is a boost to Emotional Health.

Bonnie Fatio

Compassion for others is another aspect of emotional health as is being able to show your emotions. Especially in these uncertain times, compassion, caring for other people and what is transpiring in the world without becoming negative or fearful, is crucial to your emotional health.  Are you fearful? Use the exercise of transformative language you are testing from the last message. Instead of saying, “I am afraid”, tell yourself, “I am confident all will go well”, “All is fine”, or “Today is full of new opportunities to be creative”. Remember, you do not have to believe what you say; just say it.

Emotional health also ties into your social health and spiritual health in reaching out to others with compassion. No matter how you feel, you still have space for concern for the suffering of others. Ask what you could do to make today easier for someone’s suffering or distress? In other words what is that act of kindness that you wish to show today? Multiple research shows that we are healthier and happier when we are doing something that has a positive influence on the life of another.

Especially during these days of isolation and quarantine there are exceptional opportunities to reach out to others in creative ways. Search for ways to positively touch the lives of others. Some examples were given in the previous blogs under Social Health.

Age-esteemers know that having a purpose that brightens the lives others is key to age-esteem and remaining healthy and vital as you age.

Bonnie Fatio