Emotional Wellness: It’s Time to Check in with Yourself!
- Meghan Do
- Dec 10, 2024
- 3 min read
As the holiday season is now upon us, it’s important to take the time to check in with yourself. It’s easy to put responsibilities like work and family first, so much so that you forget the last time you opened your journal! Don’t worry, here are two important ways to check in with yourself and promote your wellness for the rest of the year.
Movement and community are key aspects of maintaining emotional wellness. The first step is finding exercise that you love. This can be anything from running to yoga, to walking with friends at the park. There are no limitations to what exercise you can incorporate, as long as it matches your physical capabilities and you enjoy doing it. In general, 75 to 150 minutes of exercise is recommended per week. It’s important to note that movement can be spread out in small parts throughout the day to alleviate physical stress. I recently picked up hot yoga with a friend and we make an activity of it every time we go. I enjoy how grounded I feel after exercising and how it connects me to my body, while also giving me an opportunity to reconnect with friends and meet new people.
This is a great way to incorporate your community into your wellness journey! Even with traditionally solo workouts like running or swimming, there are amazing benefits to teaming up with like-minded neighbors. Studies indicate that exercising in groups increases an individual’s likelihood of sticking to an exercise routine and encourages them to push themselves to the next level. This also opens up the opportunity to meet new people and form new connections. Community and support are vital to emotional wellness. Having and being a good friend promotes a greater sense of purpose, belonging, and satisfaction. Cultivating and maintaining healthy friendships gives individuals a support system and allows them to spend less time alone.
Combining physical movement and community will kickstart your emotional wellness now and into the new year. It may seem like a lot to incorporate into a busy schedule, but with small steps and patience, a lasting difference is sure to come.
Here are two additional tips to keep you on track this month:
1. Journal for Five Minutes Everyday
Journaling helps slow down your mind and organize your thoughts. To start, it can be helpful to keep track of what exercise and activities make you happy. Don’t worry about what you’re writing, but if you get stuck, think of five things that you’re grateful for and list them. Keeping track of the things you enjoy can give you a good reference point to look back on when you’re feeling stuck or looking for something to do as a pick me up.
The 8-minute phone call is a scheduled phone call with a loved one with a hard cut off of 8 minutes, premised in the invite. According to The New York Times, this trick can help alleviate anxiety about reconnecting with someone and promote stimulating conversation. They emphasize that the time limit works for both parties, giving each person a way out if they have a busy schedule and sealing in positive conversation by preventing it from running too long. Phone calls like these can be scheduled for quick car rides, walks, or while doing tasks around the house. The goal is to fit in a conversation with a loved one you’ve been missing, without all the pressure of how long you’ll have to be on the phone for. While this may seem awkward at first, it all starts with a text. Reach out to someone whose voice you haven’t heard for a while and finally schedule that check in. The benefits, for you, and them, far outweigh the awkwardness of the initial text.
The most important part about wellness is being gentle with yourself and where you’re at. The best part about your wellness journey is that it will be unique and curated to bring you the most joy.
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I’m Meghan, I’m an undergraduate English major at UCLA, and I’m from Santa Rosa, California! I’ve always loved reading and writing and feel very lucky to have the opportunity to study what I’m passionate about and do so in Los Angeles. My favorite show to watch is Modern Family, and I love listening to “The Broski Report.” I grew up swimming and playing water polo and I’ve recently started hot yoga which I really enjoy. Tatsu Ramen is the best place to eat in LA, I love Taylor Swift, specifically the vault tracks from 1989, and my friends and I always celebrate important events like birthdays or tests by driving up and down Sunset when it’s dark and all the billboards are on.
