Emotional Health
Healthline.com says the definition of Emotional health is a state of positive psychological functioning and is a fundamental aspect of fostering resilience, self-awareness, and overall contentment. It can be thought of as an extension of mental health; it's the "optimal functioning" end of the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make up both our inner and outer worlds.The most important thing we want you to do is to get help if you need it!
What is the importance of good emotional health?
It can impact overall wellness and help prevent burnout, promote resiliency, and based on the studies on the AMA site above, has been shown to reduce medical errors, improve patient care and professionalism, decrease the rate of substance abuse, and improve performance on standardized tests. In other words, it helps you reach for the best possible professional development.
What is a good way for you to impact your emotional health?
Practice self-care, check-in with yourself on a regular basis, continue to add to your toolbox of coping strategies, and get help if you need it!
AMA: Medical Student Well-Being Module
What is Quillen College of Medicine’s responsibility?
To assist you in overall wellness by providing training in tools to assess and improve student well-being; to ensure that there is a welcoming, educational, inclusive environment; and to keep an open channel with students to continually assess the efficacy of efforts so to continually improve.
What are good first steps?
Practice emotional regulation:
Emotions are sometimes difficult to control, but the development of coping strategies to temper them can help develop a pattern of response, not reaction to emotion-provoking situations.
Check in with your emotional health:
Coping strategies can include:
- Meditation
- Journaling
- Listening to music
- Talking to a close friend
- Talking to a therapist or spiritual leader