Emotional health is simply being able to identify, process, and react accordingly to the emotions that you feel. According to the CDC, positive emotional wellness is when people manage emotions well and have a sense of meaning, purpose, and supportive relationships. 

Your body is a work of wonder. Anytime it feels something is wrong, it will send signals. This could be achieved through physical or mental symptoms. Rarely will something go wrong with you without the body trying to warn you; you just have to listen.

Let's delve into some of these symptoms and how you can respond to them properly and on time.

1. Feeling constantly overwhelmed

There is that point in someone's life when they undergo emotional burnout. This feeling persists whether they have actually done some work or not. Simple tasks such as making phone calls suddenly become cumbersome.

 Being constantly drained can also manifest mentally. It surfaces as an inability to make simple decisions of everyday life or solve basic problems. It is as if you're suffering from a mental fog.

How to solve

• Subdivide your task into smaller tasks rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This gives you time to use your minute burst of strength well.

• Take a breather at select intervals. This allows you to unwind and refresh. It's like tricking your brain that it has had rest; therefore, it is set to go.

• Appreciate all the small tasks achieved to give you a boost of that much-needed dopamine drive. You can learn more on mental resilience here.

2. Emotional numbness or unawareness

Alexithymia is the inability to recognize or express one's emotions. One of the early signs of stress is being unable to identify, process, and deal with your emotions well. Handling emotions becomes hard, and you may even find yourself battling anxiety often.

Sometimes, processing these emotions feels impossible, making you feel unsettled and unable to define and express yourself. Other times, you feel as if you should be experiencing some type of emotion based on the circumstance, yet you feel empty. Memories of when you last felt happy or peaceful seem nonexistent.

How to solve

• Relax, don't try to force your emotions. If you feel you cannot recognize your emotions, find a safe place and let it run its course. This allows you to live through it without doing anything that you may regret later.

• Note down your feelings and research them later. Knowledge is power. You may not understand it while it's happening, but you can make room to understand it later. That way, when it recurs, you are well prepared on how to handle it.

3. Unexplained mood swings 

One minute you are okay; the next, you are completely angry, moody, or sad. These changes seem to be random and come easily without warning. Occurrences that would not trigger you on normal days suddenly seem to make you irritable. You snap at others and get violent at the slightest provocation. 

These symptoms often mask deeper issues like unresolved trauma, resentment, or exhaustion.

How to solve

• Count to ten whenever you feel a sudden burst of emotion and need to react in an unpleasant way, especially physically. This helps you rethink your reaction before executing it. It also allows time to dissipate strong emotions.

• Have a built-in emotional regulation cue. This could be something like a snapping band, which you snap on your wrist if you feel overwhelmed.

• Start training your mind to compartmentalize issues. Not everything is to be reacted upon immediately. Feelings that surface can be categorized and dealt with later.

4. Social withdrawal and emotional isolation

Shared activities no longer bring joy and fulfillment, and you find yourself isolating from others. Game nights or group fun adventures become a drag. Occasionally, there is the feeling that “people will not understand,” and gradually, you self-isolate both subconsciously and physically.

Emotional isolation might feel like protection, but in the long run it is a self-sabotaging approach. In the event of isolation, it should have a limit, and reentry into the social scene should be as soon as possible after that episode.

How to solve

• Time your social withdrawal episodes. If you catch yourself not socializing, schedule a social event when the opportunity presents. Alternatively, you can schedule and prepay for nonrefundable events. This strategy allows for social vibrancy even on low days. 

• Pick up a support partner. That way, when you isolate, you are not totally alone, and there is someone who can talk to you and help you navigate your emotions. It helps to hasten the process of emotional stability.

5. Altered physical discomfort and and sleep patterns

As stated earlier, emotional dysregulation can show up with psychosomatic symptoms. Changes in sleeping patterns, such as insomnia or excessive sleep, are some of those symptoms. Others include frequent unexplained headaches, stomach upset, and fatigue. More severe symptoms are heart palpitations, palm sweats, and difficulty in breathing.

How to solve

• Timely wellness checkups and screenings. Because the symptoms manifest physically, it's good to have reassurance that there are no physical ailments. This allows you not to have more thoughts about serious non-existent illnesses that may further aggravate your emotional status.

• Perform physical activities such as evening walks or yoga. Physical symptoms are often regulated through physical exercise as a way of distraction to the body.

• Prepare calming teas and/or herbal supplements such as ashwagandha or chamomile. They help relax the body, thus alleviating physical symptoms such as heart palpitations.

6. Fixation on activities 

You find yourself overdependent on distractions such as watching movies, scrolling on social media, or playing games. Screen addiction is a form of avoidance from emotions and leads to a buildup of sensations that should be resolved. Fixation numbs rather than fixes emotional problems.

How to solve

• Have a no-social day. Set aside one day to disconnect from the media. This is a perfect day to plan and attend social events or even solo spiritual journeys where necessary.

• Put automated screen lock time on devices. This forces you to take time off because it disconnects automatically for the set period of time.

7. Self-loathing

Constant feelings of unworthiness and harsh self-talk are another indicator of fading emotional health. You feel you are not good enough and that anything you do doesn't matter.

Some people go to the extreme opposite of perfectionism while trying to resolve these feelings of self-loathing. They might even be highly self-critical in order to maintain the perfectionism illusion.

How to solve

• Practice words of affirmation every day in the morning and before bed. This serves to shape your thoughts that, in turn, feed into your feelings.

• Understand that nothing in this world is perfect. Embrace your imperfections and make a note to work on your shortcomings in a humane way.