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What is good emotional health? People with good emotional health are in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They feel good about themselves and have good relationships. They can keep problems in perspective. It's important to remember that even people with good emotional health sometimes have emotional problems or mental illness. Mental illness often has a physical cause such as a chemical imbalance in the brain. Stress and problems with family, work, or school can sometimes trigger mental illness or make it worse. However, people with good emotional health have learned ways to cope with stress and problems and they usually already have an established support system of friends. They know when they need to seek additional help from their doctor or a counselor. What can I do to avoid problems? First, try to recognize your emotions and understand why you are having them. Learning how to sort out the causes of sadness, frustration and anger in your life can help you better manage your emotional health. How does stress affect my emotions? Stress can come from situations such as having personal or work problems, having too much to do or too many responsibilities, working too hard and being exhausted. Your body responds to stress by making stress hormones. These hormones help your body respond to situations of extreme need. But when your body makes too many of these hormones for a long period of time, the hormones wear down your body...and your emotions. People under stress are often emotional, anxious, irritable and even depressed. If possible, try to change the situation that is causing your stress. Relaxation methods, such as deep breathing and meditation, and exercise are useful ways to cope with stress. |