Emotional Health

When God created man, He created him not only with a physical body but also with a soul. (Genesis 2:7) The Bible also says that man was created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) Human beings are emotional; God made us that way. God didn't create people to be stoic robots. We feel things; we express things. That is part of being made in God's image. 

As stated once before on this blog, our emotions can have an affect on our health. The opposite is also true. When we are sick, physically, that can also affect our emotions. Our physical state and our emotional state are closely linked together. 

This single post on emotional health will not be an exhaustive one. There are different aspects to a person's emotional state, many which I've already written about in posts on this blog such as: good sleep, good nutrition, drinking water, moderate exercise, spending time outside in nature, etc. All of those things not only affect your physical body, they also affect your emotional state. I know that, if I don't get enough sleep, that can affect my emotions the next day. 

In many ways, our mental health and our emotional health are almost one and the same. Our mind affects our emotions. 

However, the emotional part of us feels things; we feel things deeply at times. Boys and girls, men and women, are all emotional creatures. Women especially tend to be more emotional. We sense things. We perceive things. We feel things. God created women that way, on purpose, as part of His beautiful design.

Unfortunately, we live in a broken and fallen world. All of us face challenges and heartaches, some more than others. Death, loss, pain, etc. are inevitable. Those things hurt; they hurt deeply. And God gave us something to help with the pain of this life - crying.  

Did you know that tears are a gift from God? It's true. Tears actually help to bring healing. Tears help to relieve stress. The page in the link below confirms this:  

https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-crying

There is still a stigma today among some that, in order to be strong, you shouldn't cry. I've even heard that crying is a sign of weakness. Nothing could be further from the truth. It actually takes strength and vulnerability (if others are around) to cry. People who suppress their emotions and almost never cry are actually in denial of their emotions. 

Have you ever seen someone who was under stress suddenly explode in anger or frustration, and you wonder, where did that come from? Those emotions had likely been there for awhile, building inside that person, but they continued to suppress them. Then one day, that person could no longer suppress them. That is often where sudden outbursts of anger and frustration come from. 

Suppressing painful emotions while appearing to be strong does not help a person's emotional health, and that will, in turn, often affect a person's physical health in some way.

Do not be afraid to cry. Tears are a precious gift from God. Crying out to God, the One Who made us, can actually bring incredible healing emotionally. 

Perhaps you are afraid to cry? Or perhaps you feel that you don't have a safe place to cry? 

Find a place to be alone if you can. If you're a busy Dad at work or a busy Mom at home, take a few minutes in the bathroom if you need to cry out to God in prayer or in tears. (or both!)

Last summer, I went through another period of enormous grief over a small organ I lost a couple years ago in surgery. I was so broken, I had to spend time alone with the Lord where I knew no one else would be around. I went to a local park and literally wept my heart out to God for awhile. (God sometimes seems closer outside in His creation) That wasn't the first time. In order for me to heal from all that I went through, I've had to cry.   

We all grieve differently. Some people have no problem grieving in front of others while others prefer to grieve privately. That is totally okay. God created people with different personalities. The most important thing is to allow God to heal your hurting heart. If you suppress your emotions, you may actually develop physical health issues down the road. (for real!) The body remembers trauma!   

One of the best ways to release stress, pain, grief, loss, and trauma, is to cry. 

I'm not encouraging people to be "cry babies" all the time. No, no. There is a time and place for parents to teach their children not to whine for everything they want. But teaching children to suppress their emotions, without listening to their cries, is not wise. 

God, as a loving Father, bends His ear to our cries. Our tears are actually very precious to God. In the Bible, God's Word, David wrote:

"...Put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" Psalm 56:8 

 According to this verse, God has a bottle that He stores our tears in, along with a book that He records our tears in. I confess, such love and compassion is difficult for me to comprehend, but I believe it's true because God's Word says so.    

One way to be healthy, emotionally, is to allow yourself to cry. 

God cares. So much that He sent His only Son to die in answer to the broken cries of humanity. There is no greater love than that. 

Stay tuned as I plan to write a post soon about spiritual health - the most important one of all.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and I have no medical training. The things I share on this blog are simple, practical things that I've learned help with good health.