Emotional nourishment
This is a practice of tending to our emotional needs with the same care and attention we give to our physical health. It involves acknowledging, processing, and fulfilling our emotional cravings for connection, validation, and understanding. The purpose of emotional nourishment is to make an emotional shift towards a more caring and supportive approach to the self that undermines self-attack, facilitates self-acceptance and reduces emotional disturbances, thus enabling a person to become more self-soothing and self-regulating.
Significant lifestyle changes aren't necessary to experience emotional nourishment, it's all about making small adjustments that yield happier dividends. Emotional nourishment is about giving into your desires and allowing your mind to rest, it is not a luxury but a necessity. It's a practice that empowers us to lead happier, more fulfilling lives and build stronger, more connected communities. Neglecting our emotional well-being can have profound consequences on our mental health, relationships, and overall quality of life.
There are many ways to nourish your emotional state:
a) don't bottle up your emotions. Allow them to be expressed;
b) “laughter is the best medicine.” Bring some laughter into your life and observe how you feel. This can be so nourishing to our mind, body and soul;
c) movement is key to bringing nourishment to all parts of yourself. Try going for a walk, put on some music and dance around the kitchen, or find some movement that speaks to you;
d) connect with nature – go outside for meals, coffee or even with a good book;
e) sleeping is an integral part of nourishment. Are you getting enough sleep? Make sure you do.
Modi, V. (2023, September 3). Nourishing the Soul: The Profound Importance of Emotional Nourishment. LinkedIn. Retrieved from: https://surl.li/yampwi
DeCaro, S. (2020, October 2). Nourish Yourself - Sue DeCaro. Sue DeCaro. Coaching. LLC. Retrieved from: https://surl.li/fvkakh
Lee, D. A. (2005). The perfect nurturer: A model to develop a compassionate mind within the context of cognitive therapy. Compassion, p.326-351. Retrieved from: https://surl.li/pffpvk