Emotional health is as important as physical health. Emotions determine how the mind prepares the body to act or react. Some of the basic emotions include happiness, sadness, fear, anger, satisfaction, and frustration, etc. All emotional responses are triggered by mental perceptions of a given situation. The body is a collection of sensations based on perceptions; it acts or reacts accordingly. But emotions can be an all-consuming force that damages the mind as well as the body.
In most homes, there are often tensions that may strain the emotional health of each member of the family.
To be emotionally healthy, it is important to manage stress at home. The sources of stress at home are:
(1) Sexual problems are a cause and sign of stress. Bedroom problems need to be confronted, not avoided.
(2) A serious illness may result in high levels of stress. Both the diagnosis and treatment of a life-threatening disease can cause stress not only to the person concerned but also to the whole family.
(3) Children can be a source of stress at home. Teenagers can create confrontations not only with the parents, but also between the parents.
(4) Stress at workplace can become stress at home. Many parents often bring their work worries home. A stressful work environment may also create a stressful home environment.
(5) Money is often the direct or indirect cause of all the other problems at home. Paying mortgages, disagreement over what or what not to spend, concerns of job security are some of the most common financial worries facing families today.
(6) Relocation due to employment is another stress factor that involves each member of the family, such as social life, education, buying or selling a house.
Stress at home is inevitable: it is a part and parcel of contemporary living. The art of living well is to have the resources to manage stress at home. The art of living well resources include the following:
(1) Anger management: Stress often causes exhaustion and guilt, which may lead to uncontrollable emotional outbursts, causing even more stress. Therefore, anger management is an important component of managing stress at home. For more information on anger control, visit my web page: Anger Stress Management.
(2) Relaxation techniques: It is important to de-stress ourselves before we become a victim of stress. Meditation is the best technique: it is the most effective and the easiest, if one has the know-how. Other relaxation techniques may include physical exercises (in particular, qi gong) and breathing exercises (such as tai chi breathing).
(3) Time management: Time stress is one of the sources of domestic stress. There are deadlines to meet, meals to cook, appointments to make—they all strain our emotional health. Learn to prioritize. Good time management helps copying with stress at home. Effective time and life management is a survival skill in contemporary living.
(4) Smart money management: Smart money management not only avoids unnecessary financial problems but also creates better financial health. Visit my website: Smart Money Management.
(5) Spirituality: Spirituality plays a pivotal role in the emotional health of the family. Living in faith may resolve many problems that cause stress at home. For more information on spirituality, visit my website: The Tallest Order—Living in Faith.
(6) Counseling: Seek professional help, if needs be.
The Well-Being Way: 101 ways coping with stress at home, dealing with time stress, living in the present, and learning to let go.
Managing stress at home is the art of living well.
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
