5 Signs You’re Emotionally Unhealthy (and Tips to Combat Them!)

When we think of our health, we may think of our heart rate, our BMI, and our overall physical feeling.

But what about our emotional health? It’s important to keep your body physically healthy, and it may
seem like the most important aspect of health at times. But the health of your mind is just as important
and valid as your physical well-being and should be given just as much attention.

In fact, physical health and mental health often coincide. If you are emotionally unhealthy, you’re likely
to see physical symptoms as well as mental ones. If you are physically unhealthy, your mental health
could be affected.

Did you know stress can cause your hair to thin and become brittle? Or what about that chest pain
you’ve been having? That could be a sign of stress as well.

So why is it we treat our physical and mental health so differently if they both are linked closely in a
chain reaction of symptoms?

Emotional health should be taken just as serious as physical health. So… how do you know if some of
your physical symptoms could be a reaction to your mental well-being? How do you know if you are
emotionally healthy?

Here are five signs that can help you find out.

1. You Withdraw from Most Situations and Isolate

Do you often find yourself running to your room at the slightest inconvenience? Or perhaps you tend to
want to be alone even when nothing is seemingly wrong? Isolation can be a sign something more is
going on with your mental health.

While it is good to distance yourself from unnecessary conflicts and take a breather every once and a
while, too much isolation could be a warning sign of depression. Withdrawing from fun activities and not
socializing with family and friends can possibly lead to loneliness and overthinking.

If you find yourself wanting to be alone too often and think it may be leading to something more
serious, try calling your friend up and chat on the phone, planning an activity with your family, or going
for a walk to get outside of your room.

2. You Suppress and Tell Yourself You’re ‘Fine‘ Even When You’re Not

Do you often tell yourself: ‘I’m fine, I’m fine,’ even when you’re not? What about ignoring any negative
or conflicting feelings?

Suppressing emotions may seem like a quick fix to a big problem, but it could actually lead to a blow-out in
the future. Even over something seemingly unimportant.

Let’s say you suppress the anger you have over a relationship ending, or a stressful routine at work. If
you don’t deal with the problems that can effect you in the long run, something as small as forgetting to
buy the milk on your grocery list can lead to an explosive fight that will cover more than just your
grocery shopping.

What’s worse is denying these feelings to those who ask how you are – and most importantly, denying
them to yourself.

Instead of self-denial, take a breath, relax, and try to go through the problems you’re facing in a
comfortable space. Feel the feelings as they happen rather than later. This doesn’t mean you should let
it consume you, but these emotions are valid and should have a time in your day to be sorted through
and resolved.

3. You Let Grudges Get to You and Have a Hard Time with Forgiveness

Find yourself fighting with your enemy in your head? Thinking of comebacks to your nasty classmate?
While these are things everyone does throughout their lives, it’s important to recognize when you’re
giving someone who is ‘toxic’ too much time in the alternate reality inside your mind.

Forgiveness is something you can practice if you have a hard time letting go of grudges. Instead of
having someone you dislike consume your time and thoughts, try releasing the anger you have towards
them and forgiving them. While every scenario and person is different, it is always better to aim towards
positive thoughts after sifting through the negative ones, come to a solution, and let go.

If someone you’re having trouble with isn’t changing or is too unhealthy for you, now might be the time
to let them go and move on to new relationships and friendships. If you can’t escape from an individual
who gets on your nerves, – perhaps a rude colleague, classmate, or roommate? – then forgiving them or
focusing on yourself and positive people might be the better option.

It’s easy to hold a grudge, but it’s important to remember you are indeed holding onto it. That can weigh
heavily on you. Sometimes it can be more difficult to forgive, but forgiveness means you can resolve and
move on.

There is a common saying somewhere: ‘forgive and forget’.

4. You Don’t Like Who You Are and Let Your Insecurities Get the Best of You

Everyone has insecurities. It’s a normal part of being human. But if you are constantly thinking of your
flaws and how others might judge you, it can be the beginning of a very unhealthy habit.

Even if you want to change yourself for the better and improve yourself, you shouldn’t beat yourself up
over it. It’s a great goal to try to improve yourself in many ways – perhaps starting with your mental
health? – but telling yourself that these goals are the only thing that can make you happy is a recipe for
disaster. Because even if you do accomplish the goals you’re striving for, the added weight and
importance you place on them can make the great feeling of achievement of accomplishing your goals,
not all that you’d thought it’d be in your mind.

We tend to build things up in our heads, and that’s the reality we tend to strive for. But maybe the life in
your head, is not all you thought it’d be?

When you finally reach the mountain top and take a look at your long-awaited vista, there’s always a
time when you’ll have to start the long trek back down.

Because not every moment will feel high as the mountain tops, and that’s normal, the point is to keep
moving forward on your path, on your journey.

– Hey, I do like my metaphors.

5. You Aren’t Living Your Life, You Are Surviving

Every situation is different, but if you find yourself just getting through your day at work, just getting
through to the weekend, just making it to the end of the week…

Congratulations! You’re surviving. That can take a lot of work for some. It’s important to keep going and
make the best of every situation.

But, if making it to the weekend is all you look forward to, maybe it’s time to reevaluate. Not everyone
loves their work or school, and it’s normal to wish for the weekend, but try to ask yourself what you
really want to do. Whether it’s a lifelong dream you can work towards achieving or taking up a new
hobby like playing the guitar, try making the steps to add some life into… well… your life!

Take a dance class, reconnect with old friends, go on a road trip, call your mom! Add some spice to your
life’s recipe book and begin to enjoy what it is that keeps you going. We can’t only run on tofu!

– There I go with the metaphors again.

If you don’t take time to enjoy the moments in your life and live in the moment. It may pass you by.

As a wise fictional teenager once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in
a while, you could miss it.”

Psst! It’s Ferris Bueller, for you youngsters.

You’ve already taken a step towards taking care of your emotional health. Hopefully, reading this article
will have shown you the signs to recognize if you’re emotionally unhealthy. Now, you can look towards
climbing up that mountain ahead to a beautiful view – an emotionally healthy you!

And remember, there are plenty of treks down and up your hike. So try not to get discouraged and keep
moving forward.

– Oh for the love of cheesy metaphors!

Thank you for reading and taking the time to focus on your mental health! It’s just as important as our
physical health. Your mind, and ultimately you, are just as valid.

Written by Michal Mitchell

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter at @jackycoocoo for more articles, celebrity interviews, original poetry and more.

References

• “Helpful vs Harmful: Ways to Manage Emotions.” Mental Health America, www.mhanational.org/helpful-vs-harmful-ways-manage-emotions.
• Kolakowski, Dr. Shannon. “7 Signs of Emotional Wellness.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 9 Oct. 2013, www.huffpost.com/entry/emotional-wellness_b_3722625.
• August, Ashton. “13 Ways to Tell If You Are Emotionally Healthy (And How to Get There If You Answered No).” YogiApproved, 17 Jan. 2020, www.yogiapproved.com/life/emotional-health-signs/.