Have you felt like you don’t belong anymore? That is exactly what happened to me as soon as I returned home to Ecuador.

This is a strange feeling that, thankfully, changes with time.

What is emotional well-being?

Emotional well-being is about expressing and managing your feelings successfully.

Life is like a rollercoaster; it is filled with different emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, or fear. There are different circumstances that produce these emotions, like relationships or connections and activities.

But also, the way we process everything depends on our ability to decide what will and will not affect us. At least that’s what I think and understanding that makes it all easier.

When the year 2020 started, I got back to my home country after a year of being in the US. I felt like I’d changed a lot; everything was different, and I missed my friends, places and moments back in Pennsylvania. I didn’t have a job, so I started applying to a lot of positions. I felt weird going back to my past life. I didn’t want to feel like that anymore, so that is where I started my new journey. I began to read more, especially about personal growth, and I established a schedule, prioritized my health and education, and so much more.

Now, I will share some things that helped me feel better…

In several situations…

Whenever I found myself with a lot of thoughts, I like to practice mindfulness. This is the art of living in the present moment without judging it. I didn’t know how to do this, but I found a free app called Smiling Mind that has helped me a lot. For me, something that has worked is to practice it first thing in the morning and last thing before going to bed. This has had some positive effects such as helping me focus on my activities throughout the day and being able to fall asleep faster.

There have been other times when I want to say a lot, but I don’t know how or whom to tell. In this situation, I like to write things down in my journal. At the end of last year, one of my resolutions was to start writing about everything, like my day-to-day life. I think it takes practice to do so, and when I started I didn’t have much to write, but once I got comfortable I started writing more and more. This has helped me tremendously with communication, both in having better talks with others and in putting my thoughts in order.

Whenever I get angry or notice that my mood is off, what has helped me is to get outside for a walk, catch some sunlight and fresh air. I walk around my neighborhood for at least 30 minutes and then come back home. During my walks, I have so many thoughts and ideas; it’s a time of reflection, and I notice that I get a new energy somehow.

Lastly, something I would recommend to everyone is to exercise.

When I was in high school I used to play basketball, I had P.E. twice a week, and I used to go to the gym. After I graduated from high school I didn’t exercise anymore for different reasons, but the doctor said I have to exercise because that would help reduce my cholesterol. Since that moment, I have been exercising at least 3 times a week. This has been the best decision, hobby, habit I have made. It definitely improves my mood, helps me stay focused and alert, allows me to feel good about my body and my health, and in a certain way it has improved my confidence.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful, and if you do any of these, let me know how it has impacted you.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert; I am just happy to share what has helped me.

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