Emotional Fitness: 10 Instant Things To Boost Your Emotional Balance

After a year of taking it easy and using my Master's Degree as an excuse, I finally decided to take health and fitness back into my life. As a result, I enrolled in belly dancing classes and will plan a weekly fitness routine to help me stay healthy, in shape and feel better about myself.


I found this article by Dr. Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D, which I found to be necessary from time to time. Sometimes work, responsibility and stress might make us lose our emotional balance momentarily. For when that happens, he recommended 10 things to do to instantly feel better about ourselves and get that needed push into the right direction.


1. Wash your hands and face and brush your teeth: 
     It cools and cleans the part of your body that you use most frequently, which is relaxing, and gives    
     you that "fresh start" feeling.

2. Put on clean socks and some shoes that you haven't worn in a few days
    Shoes take a day or two to release any moisture they have absorbed, and this is a very 
    easy way to put a little pep back into your step.

3. Give yourself a good shave (face or legs). 

    This is another instant refresher. Especially if you have sensitive skin or the weather is dry. Plus, when    

    we know we are looking our best, we naturally feel better.

4. Look at any trophy, diploma, or certificate of achievement that you have earned.                         

    And if it isn't framed and on the wall, frame it now. These are reminders of your accomplishments,  

    and taking in your success is important to maintaining your self-esteem.

5. Remember your last (or greatest) success and think about it for sixty seconds.                            

    Taking in your success as often as possible will help you reach another and another. Quite simply, it 

    reminds you that if you've done it before, you can do it again.

6. Know you are the person your loved ones think you are.                                                                     

    And yes, that goes for your dog too. Knowing that you are unconditionally loved can't help but make 

    you feel good about yourself. It's so easy to beat yourself up, I recommend pulling yourself up instead.

7. Wash your car, inside and out. 

     Hey, when our wheels are shiny, we feel better. If you don't think this applies to you, just remember 

     how you felt the last time you got a ride in someone's very funky car. Race you to the car wash.

8. Organize your closet and get rid of anything that no longer fits. 

    Old clothes may come back into style, but you really don't want them on hangers for the next twenty   

    years. Throwing out the old makes room for the new. For some, the feeling they get from putting on a  

    new "power suit" fills them with pride.

9. Cook a lovely meal. 

    Even if you are by yourself, preparing a tasty dinner, setting the table, and  

    treating yourself to a wonderful culinary experience will lift your spirits. Sharing it with someone you 

    love and/or respect will make it even more nurturing.

10. Look around you, remember that you started with nothing, and know that everything you  

      see, you created. 

      We can all lose our feelings of self-worth, especially when something goes wrong in our world. The 

      truth is that if you have done it before, you can do it again-no matter what.

These are just tricks to give yourself a little boost when you're not feeling at the top of your game. I will try them! Hope they work for you too!