People with high psychological well-being report feeling capable, happy , well-supported, and satisfied with life. Psychological well-being is characterized by positive relationships, self-acceptance, a sense of purpose, personal growth, autonomy, and competence. It is linked to better health, greater happiness, and a longer lifespan.

Fortunately, it's something you can improve by finding meaning, fostering optimism, and cultivating social support. In this article, learn more about some of the ways you can boost your own psychological well-being. One popular model describes psychological well-being as being made up of six key components:.

According to this perspective, psychological well-being is more than just feeling good, finding pleasure, and being happy—although those are obviously important, too! Instead, it takes what is known as a eudaimonic perspective, which stresses the importance of things like personal growth, purpose, meaning, and self-realization.

Psychological well-being is considered a core aspect of mental health. People with higher psychological well-being are more likely to:. For instance, research has found that people with high psychological well-being are less likely to engage in criminal activity or abuse drugs and alcohol.

In addition, positive psychological well-being tends to predict higher earnings and more prosocial behavior , such as volunteering. People also are more likely to enjoy positive psychological well-being when they have their basic needs met.

Living in a safe area, having enough food, and having adequate shelter are all important factors for emotional health. Here's an overview of some of the key things you can do to improve your overall sense of well-being. Living a life with meaning and purpose is key to improving your psychological well-being.

Instead, you might make it your purpose to be kind every day. Or, your purpose might involve making the world better by encouraging others to take care of the environment or adopt pets from the shelter.

Maybe your purpose is to be an advocate for those who are hurting, like bullied students, the homeless, or victims of abuse. You can find purpose in many ways and build a life that has more meaning. Begin by thinking about the legacy you would like to leave behind. Then, establish some objectives that can help you reach those goals.

Working toward your goals will give you a reason to get out of bed every day, beyond earning money. Thinking positively also improves your psychological well-being. In turn, as your psychological well-being improves, it becomes easier to think positively and feel good overall. Fortunately, you can begin creating that positive cycle with a few simple strategies:.

Take a few minutes and write down all the good things that could happen to you in the future. Imagine how you could be spending your time and who you would be spending it with if you were living your best life. You also may want to devise a plan on how you can make that happen. Make small, measurable goals that will help you achieve that better future.

Then, put a plan into place. When you're working toward a better future—even if the steps are really small—it gives you a sense of purpose and something to look forward to.

Spend time thinking about some of the best memories of your life. Whether it's a family vacation you went on 10 years ago or an award you won at work two years ago, recalling the happiest times in your life can bring more positivity to your mindset.

Recognizing the good things that have happened to you over time—the people you have built memories with or the good times that you have experienced—is an important part of improving your well-being.

They serve as reminders of the fullness life has to offer, especially when circumstances may be pulling you down. Doing nice things for other people reminds you that you have the power to make a difference in the world.

Giving to others also helps you think more positively and feel happier. Helping a neighbor in need, volunteering for a community activity, or raising money for a charity are just a few simple ways to improve your psychological well-being.

Also, look for ways to be kind to others in your everyday life. Doing so benefits you in several ways. In fact, researchers indicate that individual acts of kindness releases both endorphins and oxytocin —the feel good hormones—as well as creates new neural connections.

Consequently, kindness can become a self-reinforcing habit that takes less and less effort to perform. There's also some evidence linking kindness and healing. So, look for ways to be kind to others and your body and mind will thank you.

Mindfulness , which means staying in the moment, has been linked to a multitude of benefits, ranging from increased happiness to better resilience. Although mindfulness is a skill that takes practice and dedication, over time you can get better at learning how to be present and in the moment.

Doing so has a number of benefits too. For instance, studies suggest that mindfulness helps people manage stress, cope with serious illnesses, and reduce anxiety and depression.

In fact, people who practice mindfulness are better able to relax, have improved self-esteem, and possess more enthusiasm for life. What's more, studies have found a link between mindfulness meditation and changes in the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and emotion.

This discovery is not surprising because mindfulness requires you to pay attention to your thoughts, your actions, and your body. Whether you send letters to people telling them how much you appreciate them or you write about the things you feel thankful for in a journal, expressing your gratitude will keep you focused on all the good things in life.

You can even express gratitude on social media. Learning to be grateful in everything you do will become a way of life. You'll discover you can be thankful for little things like the beauty of sunset as well as the big things like a new job or a visit from friend.

Finding things to be thankful for everyday is a simple but effective way to boost your psychological well-being. Feeling capable and confident is important. Try reflecting on your past achievements and the qualities that helped you succeed.

Write down these things as a reminder of what you have to offer the world. And, if there's an area that needs improvement, don't be afraid to list that too.

Working on improving yourself is a great way to impact your overall well-being. Letting go of past hurt and anger is key to good psychological well-being. Instead, forgiveness is about releasing yourself of the anger that's holding you back and keeping you bound to that person.

Forgiving another person frees you to put your energy into more positive things rather than ruminating on past hurts and offenses. If the person who wounded you is still a threat to your overall well-being, it also may help to erect some boundaries to safeguard yourself from further unnecessary pain.

Studies show that loneliness takes a serious toll on your emotional and physical health. According to the U. Surgeon General, being lonely is as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Just being around people, however, isn't the solution.

The quality of relationships matters more than the quantity when it comes to improving your psychological well-being. Have coffee with a friend, eat dinner with your family, and call a loved one just to chat. Strong social support also is important to staying psychologically healthy.

If you lack a support system, take steps to meet more people. Join community activities, get acquainted with your neighbors, or reach out to old friends. This episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares what it means to be 'wholly human,' featuring GRAMMY award-winning singer LeAnn Rimes.

Click below to listen now. Psychological well-being is a key part of feeling happy and being able to function day-to-day. It's easier than you may think to develop healthy habits that can foster your emotional health.

Start small and try practicing one or two strategies to maximize your psychological well-being, such as writing down a few of your strengths or happy memories. Over time, you will see the effects that these practices have on your positivity and overall mental health.

van Dierendonck D, Lam H. Interventions to enhance eudaemonic psychological well-being: A meta-analytic review with Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-being. Appl Psychol Health Well Being.

Set small, realistic and accomplishable goals for each tip into your daily routine and build on them each week. Drinking 2 liters of water a day and setting a stringent exercise routine can seem daunting for day one of your emotional journey, so break it down into something that works for you.

Set a goal of drinking 2 glasses of water and a brisk, heart rate increasing walk around the block. Adjusting your daily routine to include moments to remind yourself to pay attention to your emotional health will no doubt serve to make a better, healthier you.

When thought of singularly, completing each of these actions can seem daunting, yet if we incorporate them into a well-balanced daily routine accomplishing them will become easier to the point of effortless. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript.

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Jan 27, Five Strategies for Emotional Well-Being. Positive Affirmations: Words can either inspire or destroy, and the most important words we say are the ones we day to ourselves.

Exercise: We have all heard of the insurmountable benefits of exercising, just a short 30 min walk can do wonders for our physical health. Stick to a Daily Routine: Lastly, the combination of the aforementioned strategies into our daily mix of activities is essential towards our goal of a healthier emotional state.

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Richard Rohr. To transform that adversity, begin by observing and managing your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. That helps determine the actions you take and completely changes the way you handle stressful situations and make decisions. You view yourself and others with less judgment. Everything in your life — emotional, social, spiritual, physical, and intellectual — connects in a state of well-being.

For example, walking just minutes a day gives your brain a boost. That means more energy, awareness, and a healthier outlook on life. Because exercise of any sort balances your dopamine and serotonin levels, it also improves your sleep and reduces stress and anxiety.

All of this can make you better equipped to manage your feelings and emotions. Each area of your well-being has the potential to impact other areas.

Many research studies focus on how poor mental well-being negatively impacts physical health — leading to an increased risk in cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease.

And there is an emerging set of data that is focusing on the effects of positive well-being. For example, in a PhD project involving mental health and life stories, Rikke Jensen found a compelling connection between what you say about yourself and your experience of well-being.

She asked adults to describe up to ten specific memories in their life stories and answer questions about whether the events were related to positive or negative aspects of who they were. She found that life stories dominated by positive events and connections were related to higher subjective well-being , while life stories dominated by negative events and connections were related to lower subjective well-being.

Consider that the next time you share what happened in your day. Take control of your emotional well-being by focusing on the positive emotions you felt, and processing and learning from any negative experiences. When faced with a challenging situation, you might use one of these strategies to bring yourself into a frame of mind that allows you to manage your emotions.

In a stressful situation, this simple three-step process can help you better control your emotions. To respond is to exercise emotional intelligence. To react is to be emotional. So how do you consistently respond instead of react?

Begin by slowing down the process. Responding means you think through what you want to have happen in an interaction or conflict.

You are measured, thoughtful, and allow creative ideas to enter the process. Reacting, on the other hand, is typically immediate, without thought, and often results in a negative outcome. The latest scientific research finds that the average person has more than six-thousand thoughts every day.

The next time a thought challenges your emotional well-being, follow a pattern by self-Inquiry teacher Byron Katie and ask yourself these four questions:.

To wrap up this practice, use the final step of turning around the initial thought that challenged your well-being. Come up with three reasons why your new thought might be true. The practice of questioning and then turning your thoughts around offers you a concrete way to return to a state of emotional well-being.

Your range of emotions—and how you manage them—influences your emotional health. Here are eight ways you can control your emotions and feelings, and stay resilient:.

Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. You become more resilient as you encounter and master any situation.

Whenever you have doubts, and you will, remember that you have everything you need to take care of your emotional well-being. Just announced! Explore the agenda for Uplift April 10—11 in SF. EN - US English US Deutsch English GB Français.

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If you have an ongoing emotional problem, talk to your doctor right away. They can help you find the right type of treatment. National Institutes of Health: Emotional Wellness Toolkit. Last Updated: June 1, This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone.

Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. Depression is a medical illness that can affect the mental and physical health of children and adolescents.

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Path to improved health Emotional health allows you to work productively and cope with the stresses of everyday life.

There are many ways to improve or maintain good emotional health: Be aware of your emotions and reactions. Notice what in your life makes you sad, frustrated, or angry.

Try to address or change those things. Express your feelings in appropriate ways. Let people close to you know when something is bothering you. Keeping feelings of sadness or anger inside adds to stress.

It can cause problems in your relationships at home, work, or school. Think before you act. Give yourself time to think and be calm before you say or do something you might regret.