7 Signs of Emotional Health

“You’re doing alright? Your health is okay?”

“Oh yes! I ran three miles this morning and had a good workout. My body finally looks in shape and even though I haven’t been sleeping due to assignments, I feel quite alright. I’m doing great. Thanks for asking.”

This is what 97% of the world believes about health — not being physically ill. The World Health Organization (WHO) clarified many decades ago that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of pain, disease or illness. And yet to the vastest majority of us, health is physical. It’s not surprising that young people stay blinded to mental and emotional health.

Symptoms and signs of emotional troubles are invisible. Unlike a pimple on the cheek or wart beneath the eye that grabs your immediate and complete attention, your emotional health can be waning — sadness brewing, anxiety tormenting, self-confidence dipping; and yet you might not have the slightest inkling that there’s any problem at all.

“I’m a real-world logical person. If I don’t see a problem, then it’s just not there.”

Emotional health comes into the spotlight only when it’s more obviously evident by its absence. When concerns and apprehensions have transformed into anxiety and panic, discouragement and disappointment have translated into dysthymia and depression; and when shyness and timidity have transmuted into low self-esteem and social phobia.

There is a way to prevent the plague by nipping it in the bud. If you see the signs well in time, you’re better geared to correct any tiny deficit before it becomes an all-out character or emotional flaw.

Here are 7 signs of emotional health that you could check off before you actually say to yourself, “Oh I’m just fine.” This isn’t about what you say to the world, it’s what you truly and deeply feel.

1. Your ride is smooth, in spite of speed bumps

Tiding through adolescence smoothly does not mean that your days are easy or hassle-free. In fact, it’s the other way round. When you turn your speed bumps into learning opportunities, your road always appears like it’s just been levelled. Feeling comfortable with everything going on in your life is a sign that your coping capacities are sufficient to deal with stressors. You can do this by seeing the brighter side and perceiving your glass as half full. This will shield you from stress, and prevent any anxiety or depression in the long run.

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