by T.L.Gowans

Created on: September 08, 2008

Everybody deals with a vast array of emotions on a daily basis. Whether it be stress from driving in traffic to work and then dealing with an unruly boss. The feeling of delight you get from seeing the smile on your child's face. Anger towards an inconsiderate person who took the parking spot you wanted or even utter sadness from the death of a loved one.

Emotions come in every form and are brought about by our everyday encounters. What most people do not understand, is how much our emotions affect our mental health well being. When you are having a bad day and you try to suppress or block the negative emotions, without finding a healthy outlet for dealing with those feelings, it ends up building up in a negative way; thus causing a chain reaction for other problems. I am not a doctor, but from my personal experiences dealing with stress, I have seen the affect it can have. You can experience eating disorders causing weight gain or weight loss and have a difficult time trying to lose it or put it back on. Your motivation level significantly declines to the point that you just do not want to do anything. You might have trouble sleeping, causing you to be tired and irritable the next day. Your emotions can also make you feel like a light switch. One minute you are sad and crying, the next minute you are enraged with anger. Pretty soon, you start to go on a downward spiral because your emotions are out of control and now not only has your own personal life been affected, but your personal relations with others as well.

Our emotions have such an impact on our lives and the decisions we make. If we are feeling relaxed and content and someone happens to cut us off while driving, your reaction is not going to be as hostile and aggressive, as it would if you were feeling upset or stressed.

I have tried many different tactics for dealing with negative emotions, without success. What I have found in this past year is quite simple and has been the answer that I have been looking for. It is simply having a healthy body promotes having a healthy mind.

The following lists 3 important things that I have found that seem to work for me.

First: EXERCISE! You do not necessarily need to become a bodybuilder, but exercising increases endorphins produced in your body which some people say is more effective than taking any drug, because of the euphoric affect it can have. Exercising can be as little as just walking daily. *Make sure to check with your physician first before starting

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