Q: I’m emotionally exhausted by everything from COVID-19 to war and contending with my own and my family’s health problems. It’s making me get sloppy at work and short-tempered at home. How can I regain emotional strength? -- Steven B., Nashville
A: Emotional strength (resilience) can be cultivated, and it allows you to contend with what life throws at you. While no one can dodge challenges, disappointments and sadness, how you respond to those events and circumstances is in your control.
The first step is to practice mindful meditation and/or breathing exercises for 10 minutes in the morning and before bedtime. That will help dispel stress and clear your mind so that you can think of resourceful ways of handling your issues. Another great approach, outlined in Dr. Oz’s iHerb.com blog, “Dr. Oz’s 9-Step Daily Wellness Routine” is to practice gratitude. When heading to bed, write down something that makes you grateful and think about a loved one you should call the next day, giving you extra purpose when you rise and shine.
Finding a cause to promote that helps others improve their quality of life will also boost yours.
Physical activity can also raise your spirits -- it dispels stress and promotes neurotransmitters that stimulate happiness. Even a short burst of jumping jacks or a moderate-intensity walk for 15 minutes helps. And joining a team activity gets you receiving from and giving support to other folks.
Keeping a journal is also helpful. It lets you express your feelings bluntly, then look at them and reevaluate how you are reacting. And if you want to try talk therapy, check out the American Psychological Association’s Psychologist Locator. You might also get a health check-up to make sure that your emotional exhaustion isn’t being caused or fueled by physical problems such as anemia, diabetes, sleep apnea, or allergies. And take a daily probiotic and/or eat fermented foods -- they really your boost moods and help you gain more resilience.
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