Written by Jasmine Kimani – Psychology student at the University of Bristol
Emotional health week has given us an opportunity to focus on an important and often overlooked part of our well-being: our emotional health. Emotional health is about how we think and feel, it’s often misconceived as being happy all the time. Rather, it is our ability to recognise our emotions and our resilience in the face of life’s ups and downs.
At its core, emotional health is about being aware of our emotions, both positive and negative in order to understand how they impact us and develop the tools to cope with them effectively. Whether we’re celebrating successes or facing challenges, taking care of our emotional health ensures that we stay grounded and maintain a sense of balance.
The importance of recognising negative emotions
Experiencing negative emotions such as anger, sadness and stress are a natural part of being human. While it may be tempting to push them aside to avoid discomfort, ignoring these emotions can be harmful in the long run. It can lead to greater issues like burnout, or a phenomenon known as the “post-suppression rebound effect.” This is when suppressed emotions resurface with greater intensity, often at unexpected times, creating additional stress and emotional strain.
To look after our emotional health, it’s important to acknowledge and accept the negative emotions, then to avoid them. By doing so we give ourselves the opportunity to work through them- through expressing them in healthier ways.
Putting this into practice- how to cope with negative emotions
An important first step in coping with negative emotions is acceptance. This is acknowledging the presence of emotions without any judgment. Simply naming the emotion, like saying “I’m feeling anxious,” can help reduce its intensity and allow you to start processing it more effectively. Once you’ve accepted the emotion, practicing techniques like mindfulness and expressing your feelings can be highly beneficial to your emotional health.
Mindfulness involves being present with your emotions instead of avoiding them. Techniques like deep breathing or body scans help you stay grounded and in tune with your feelings. Whereas expression is about finding a safe outlet for your emotions- whether it’s talking to a friend, journaling, or engaging in creative activities like art, which helps you process emotions constructively.
The Stress Bucket Analogy: Understanding and Managing Stress
Stress is a common negative emotion that many of us experience. Research suggests that the average UK adult feels stressed on more than 10 days a month, with over 28% of the population attributing their stress to workload demands.
A good way to understand stress is to imagine your stress as water filling a bucket. Every task, demand, or challenge adds more water to the bucket. If you don’t release some of the water, the bucket will eventually overflow, leading to burnout or emotional outbursts. The key to preventing this is to create small holes in the bucket, which can be done by using coping strategies like taking regular breaks, talking to someone you trust, or exercising. But the crucial first step is acceptance—acknowledging that you’re stressed and that your bucket is nearing its limit. This awareness allows you to implement strategies that help you release some of the water.
Here’s how you can put it into practice:
- Acceptance: Acknowledge that you’re stressed without judgment, use the “I” statement as mentioned before.
- Mindfulness: Identify what fills the bucket (e.g., workload, personal worries, life changes) and what helps empty it (e.g., hobbies, mindfulness practices, social connections).
- Expression: Put your identified strategies into action. For instance, go for a walk outside in nature to release some of the built-up stress.
So, for emotional health week…
As we often rush through life without taking the time to pause and reflect on how we feel. This week try and prioritise yourself by setting aside some time to ask:
- How do I feel right now?
- Why may I feel this way?
- What can I do to help with how I’m feeling?
- Who can I talk to for support?
To help with this, consider looking at a booklet by Skills For Care on building your own resilience, how to recognise your stress limits, and know when to seek help.
Or have a think about your own wellbeing by completing your own stress bucket.
By reflecting on your emotions, you’ll take meaningful steps toward better emotional health.
Take the next step towards better emotional wellbeing with us on one of our Wellbeing Training courses.