In the madness we’re currently living in, have you ever stopped to stare at other people, and wonder whether they’re emotionally healthy? We’re all pretty much experiencing a long-term shift of the world we used to know, but even before this pandemic ever happened, did you ever wonder what it means to be emotionally healthy or what makes a person emotionally healthy?
We don’t often hear people talking about their emotional health. Yes, we constantly listen to people complain about their physical health, weight or overweight, for having eaten that pizza at late hours of the night or for skipping the gym for three weeks.
We worry so much over how healthy a chocolate bar is, or over low-calorie food, that we forget about another, most important aspect of our well-being – the mental and emotional health.
It’s hard to tell what makes us healthy, emotionally. This is because we all have those inner voices within our heads telling ourselves that we are weirdos, and that we are often ridiculous.
But even so, there is a limit to this inner critique that can help us understand if we’re emotionally healthy or not. That, and these other listed qualities above, will give you an understanding of what it means to be emotionally healthy.
You Have a Good Understanding of Communication
If there’s one thing that immature and unhealthy people do, that would be thinking that others should simply read their mind, without them articulating or expressing their feelings.
In cases of misunderstandings, if you feel free to communicate what you think, without bad tendencies and with no frustration, but with the clarity of mind to try and fix things instead of making them worse – then you are quite emotionally healthy.
Justifying Other People’s Frustration
Most cases when people are angry, cynical or show bullying tendencies, this is often because that is how they have been treated at some point through their lives.
That is just how they were taught to communicate and beneath their harsh surface, probably lies a softer version of them.
An emotionally mature person, can keep this in mind when dealing with this sort of person, instead of jumping to the conclusion that they’re simply mean.
Note: This behaviour should not be tolerated, although as a healthy person, you may know its source.
Follow Your Own Pace
Probably, the unhealthiest thing we experience with ourselves is comparing our achievements to others. And this has become extremely easy to do, now that everything gets published in social media.
We see our friends traveling, working, and eating fancy, while we are maybe just sitting around the house with a dog, but yet – with a stable job and loving friends.
As an emotionally healthy person, you will be grateful for what you have right now, and understand that everyone has their own pace of life.
Patience is your quality, and you’ll know comparing doesn’t get you anywhere.
You Introspect
Spending time with oneself is highly underrated, and if there’s something that this pandemic has taught us – it’s that we have to learn how to deal with ourselves primarily, prior to extending our communication with others.
Of course socialising is great, but it’s not so great if you try to fill in the gap of being alone, with people who make you feel lonely.
Emotionally mature people know how to spend quality time with themselves, as this recharges them, brings them back to their senses and it pays off as we begin to know ourselves a little bit better.
Don’t Believe In Perfection
The romantics have left us with the feeling that we must find perfection in everything, and that we will someday reach a peak of utter happiness.
Whether in love, friendship, work or lifestyle, if you have a healthy mindset, you will know that perfection does not exist.
You will learn to appreciate bad things that come along the way, knowing that this is just the way life is, and that happiness or sadness / perfection and failure are not static.
They come and go, and you’re just fine with that!
You’re Ok With Being Realistic
This probably derives from the fact that you’re ok with not everything being perfect. That is why you do not set high expectations of things, or you expect very realistic results, rather than glorious ones.
As a reward, you either get surprised with even better results or you simply avoid getting disappointed as you are very much aware that your expectations meet the results that have taken place.
Having this mindset will save you from a lot of anxiety, unnecessary stress and disappointment.
You Forgive Yourself
It takes extreme courage to stand up for ourselves when our inner voices are being critical. And it takes even more courage to forgive ourselves, when these voices are the ones telling us that we don’t deserve it.
An emotionally healthy person will understand that being compassionate to oneself is crucial, as everyone on planet earth are difficult people to live with, if you look closely.
You will understand that we all suffer from the same patterns, habits, and that we tend to make mistakes quite often.
Forgiving yourself automatically makes you a calmer soul, with the ability to forgive others as well.
For a wider list of what makes you an emotionally healthy and mature person, I would highly recommend watching this School of Life video.
It has shed quite some light in my perspective for myself, and I hope it does the same for other fellow life wanderers.
Photos: Shutterstock
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