Managing Needs and Emotions

Mental Wellness Group - Student SenateJune, 2022

Welcome back to the Student Senate’s mental health post series where today’s post will guide students down the path of identifying and managing individual needs and emotions. By doing this, students will gain a better understanding of themselves and their integral needs to not only discover what is critical to caring for their mental health, but to build the confidence necessary to move into the future. Keep reading to find out how!

Identifying our needs and mental state

Sometimes we have days when we feel off or in a bad mood. When this happens instead of jumping to action with a list of things to feel normal again, try to make a quick check up of your physical and emotional state. How do you feel? How does your body feel? Are your muscles full of adrenaline? All of these questions and more should be asked to one's own self before even attempting to make a change in your actions.

After gaining a sense of self-awareness, make a list of the things that you think that you need in relation to how you are feeling. The purpose of that is to make all the ideas floating around your brain to have solid and actionable needs that you can look for. By doing this step, you have an objective to achieve and to follow, instead of just an idea that might disappear without you even noticing it. If there is a situation when you want to follow one of those needs but you start to make excuses for yourself, try to talk it out with yourself. Find a private place where you can go through your excuses and rationalize them, reminding yourself of why your needs., In the publication “The Perks of Talking to Yourself” Dr. Paloma Mari-Beffa - a researcher within Cognitive and Applied Neuropsychology- stated that “This inner talk is very healthy indeed, having a special role in keeping our minds fit. It helps us organize our thoughts, plan actions, consolidate memory, and modulate emotions. In other words, it helps us control ourselves.” What other reasons should there be not to talk to yourself then?

Managing Emotions

Often, it can feel as if your emotions are too overwhelming, and it can be hard to express what you are feeling. It may be easy to disregard these feelings at first, but it is important to acknowledge what you are going through and seek ways to regulate your emotions. Your emotions are an important and necessary part of your life. Suppressing them will only lead to negative effects on your mental health. Always remember that having strong emotions is completely normal, and it is entirely up to you to decide how to proceed with what you are feeling.

Some ways to express your emotions include journaling any feeling down into a private notebook, or even practicing some deep breathing exercises to calm yourself down. Another great way to regulate your emotions is to find someone you can share your feelings with. By having someone to talk to, you can feel as if your voice is being heard and that you are not alone with your thoughts.

Empathy

What is empathy and why is it important? Well empathy allows us to build social connections with other individuals. By training ourselves to understand how others are feeling and thinking, we are able to respond appropriately in difficult situations. However, having empathy goes both ways. In order to be empathetic towards others, we must have the ability to manage and feel our emotions.

You can practice self-empathy by being kind to yourself and connecting with your emotions, whether pleasant or not, it is a part and parcel of good mental health. It is essential to regularly exercise healthy habits to further allow for self growth and a stable peace of mind. Remember that we are all human and no one is perfect, therefore it is important not to be too critical of ourselves and reflect negatively upon our mistakes. Rather take a moment to breathe and remind yourself that things will get better.

Being able to empathize for ourselves allows us to reflect these habits through our interactions with others. Empathizing for others allows a great sense of communication and can always lead to positive outcomes.

Today’s post offered an important guide of inward and outward reflection that we hope will serve students into the future. Acknowledging what is important and vital to your needs is a key step towards discovering the path of improving mental health—not only at the individual level, but across the globe. Remember to stay true to yourself as you continue to grow into your full potential.

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