How to deal with emotional distress
Emotions are fundamental to relationships with people. However, there are times when these emotions become a distress. This could hinder a lot of relationships and even damage some. In this blog post, we will be looking at how to deal with emotional distress.
Emotional distress happens when you're feeling a high level of unpleasant emotions. It is a form of suffering that results from or causes a mental health issue. It can disrupt the daily quality of life.
Negative emotions, such as anger and frustration are all normal reactions to things. However, when they become too much it could lead to negative emotions which would result in emotional distress.
The causes of emotional distress vary and could include a combination of factors.
Causes of emotional distress
- Job dissatisfaction or unemployment
- Physical and mental challenges
- Housing issues
- Financial issues
- Negative childhood experiences
- Traumatic events
- Discrimination
- Stress
- Negative behavioral change
To deal with emotional distress, coping with emotions might help. Knowing which emotions to deal with is also important so as not to waste valuable time.
Experiencing some situations could increase emotional distress. Situations such as job loss could affect the morale of the individual, thereby increasing distress. Hence, emotional distress is often confused with other emotional responses such as sadness or frustration. What sets emotional distress apart is its duration and how it disrupts daily activities.
Symptoms of emotional distress
- Sleep disruption
- Changes in eating habits
- Lack of energy
- Headaches
- Stomach aches
- Fatigue
- Hopelessness
- Substance abuse
- Excessive smoking
- Aggression
- Excessive risk-taking
With emotional distress, the feeling is often personalized. What causes distress for one person might not affect another person. This is why it is crucial to understand the threshold that causes emotional distress because it is different for each person.
Also, emotional distress is also different for different age groups. Students have different emotional distress than the working class. Hence, diagnosis of the symptoms of emotional distress should personalized to meet the challenges of different age groups.
How to cope or deal with emotional distress
- Seek help
- Understand what triggers you
- Practice a healthy lifestyle
- Exercise regularly
- Enjoy a movie
- Take a vacation
- Meditation
- Take a walk
- Take a soothing bath
- Listen to music
- Read a book
- Get quality sleep
- Embrace your personal values
- Avoid unhealthy habits and behavior
- Eat healthily
Conclusion
Emotional distress is a result of negative emotions. However, recognizing the symptoms and knowing the coping strategies for it should suffice in dealing with it. Each individual should also take note to determine what triggers emotional distress for them and apply the necessary remedy as discussed here. Remember, emotions only show how you feel, don't let it weigh you down.
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