Emotional health spans aspects of well-being related to your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Looking after emotional health boasts a range of health benefits, from reduced risk of and improved recovery from sickness, disease, and injury to improved mental health and work performance. Good emotional health involves managing emotions well, adapting to change, coping with disagreements and challenges, and maintaining a strong sense of purpose and a supportive social network. If you’re struggling with aspects of emotional health, a mental health professional can provide you with tools to cope and thrive — asking for support when you need it is a key part of emotional health.
5 Ways Anger Affects Your HealthMedically Reviewed by Allison Young, MD | February 13, 2024
FAQ
How can I improve my emotional health?
Emotional self-care involves relaxing activities, giving yourself the space to speak to people you love, and declining needlessly stressful tasks. Practicing acceptance and gratitude, improving self-love, and engaging in regular acts of kindness can boost emotional health.
What are signs of poor emotional health?
Poor emotional health can lead to feeling run down, irritable, tired, and easily distracted; experiencing low self-esteem; lapses in looking after physical health; and sleep difficulties. If these feelings disrupt daily life, your emotional health may need some TLC.
How does stress affect emotional health?
Stress places high demands on you. Poor emotional health means you may have low resilience to stressful situations or life changes. If you avoid coping with stress, it can become chronic, which may start to affect long-term emotional health.
What are healthy coping mechanisms?
Exercise, meditation, leaning on your social support network, and talking to a therapist can support you during stressful or challenging periods. Daily practices like journaling may also help you process daily life and significant changes.
How do social connections support emotional health?
Friendships and social connections promote a sense of belonging, boost self-esteem, and help to counteract stressors. They can also encourage healthy behaviors and help you process stress and grief. Loneliness can increase a person’s risk of mood disorders.
Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
Seth Gillihan, PhD
Medical Reviewer
Seth Gillihan, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, who helps people find personal growth by making important changes in their thoughts and...
Justin Laube, MD, is a board-certified integrative and internal medicine physician, a teacher, and a consultant with extensive expertise in integrative health, medical education, a...
Adam Lake, MD, is a family physician with expertise in LGBTQIA+ health, as well as an HIV specialist and addiction medicine specialist. He is medical director of a clinic specializ...
Stephanie Albers, PhD, is an eating disorder clinical assessment program manager for Project Heal and a size-inclusive therapist for Libra Virtual Care. She maintains clinical lice...
Ira Daniel Breite, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He is an associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he also sees patien...
Chelsea Vinas is a licensed psychotherapist who has a decade of experience working with individuals, families, and couples living with anxiety, depression, trauma, and those experi...
Leslie Becker-Phelps, PhD, is a licensed psychologist based in New Jersey who practices via telehealth in many other states. She has been on the medical staff at Robert Wood Johnso...
Grant Chu, MD, is an associate clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Chu is also associate director of inpatient East-West consult services at the ...
Sean Hashmi, MD, is an experienced nephrologist and obesity medicine specialist based in Southern California. As the regional director for clinical nutrition and weight management ...
Chester Wu, MD, is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine. He cares for patients through his private practice in Houston, where he provides evaluations, medication...
Ross Radusky, MD, is a practicing board-certified dermatologist at the Dermatology Treatment and Research Center in Dallas. Originally from New York City, he graduated summa cum la...
Jessica Baity, MD, is a board-certified neurologist practicing in southern Louisiana. She cares for a variety of patients in all fields of neurology, including epilepsy, headache, ...
Kelsey M. Latimer, PhD, RN, is a psychologist, nurse, and certified eating disorder specialist, and is the founder and owner of KML Psychological Services.
Dr. Patrice Harris is Everyday Health's chief health and medical editor and a board-certified psychiatrist in Atlanta with diverse experience as a private practicing physician, a c...
Angela D. Harper, MD, is in private practice at Columbia Psychiatric Associates in South Carolina, where she provides evaluations, medication management, and psychotherapy for adul...
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
5 Red Flags That You May Have an Unhealthy Relationship With Food — Plus, Tips for Improving ItMedically Reviewed by Stephanie Albers, PhD | February 27, 2026
7 Tips for Talking About Money With Your Partner (and Other Important People in Your Life)Medically Reviewed by Kelsey M. Latimer, PhD, RN | May 04, 2025
