What is your emotional hygiene like?
Mine was pretty awful when I first wrote this entry…
I am reflecting on my vow to improve my emotional hygiene. So far in my journey, I have been looking at recent history. I have found myself searching for something or someone to bring me out of situations rather than taking responsibility. I have been a serial offender and defender of pleasing and appeasing; being too agreeable when agreeable wasn’t the answer. I spent time on a rollercoaster of emotions: distracted, lost, rejected - and everything in between. I needed to understand emotions better, especially with new thoughts and situations. Looking back, I am still emotionally immature. So if I am reflecting, why not red, you may ask?
I wish this were a reflective account. I am only at the beginning of my emotional hygiene journey. I am more aware of the need for it, but yet to put a system in place.
Taking emotional damage is not good and should not be left unchecked or untreated. Once, I contracted a “hero complex germ”. An idea that I had to do everything myself and I needed to be in control. I found myself being annoyed over the smallest things, and I felt like, at points, I couldn’t trust people. I didn’t want to express this, choosing my preferred method of isolation. But it wasn’t until I stopped and, with some help, took some time out to realise that I was having an emotional outbreak and a poor view of life. I was burnout by emotions from an incident I hadn’t dealt with. I had let my emotion take control! I could have prevented it if I had a time machine or, more practically, been a smidge more hygienic, making sure that all my boundaries were protected. I guess I needed to realise the importance of them first. Emotional hygiene is about noticing and tending to your psychological health - which I had neglected rather than learning to respect. After all, Jesus was betrayed, Jesus wept, died on the cross, and he still valued his emotional hygiene. I actually have no excuses.
So, I am trying to value emotional hygiene rather than fighting it. This means I must communicate even when there are things that I can’t tell myself or figure out. There are many different aspects to one’s identity, which will be seen through different lenses by many people in a range of ways. But to understand all of it, I need to be more introspective and learn to step out mentally. I needed introspective communication. Honestly, I am not sure how to go about this or the best way - but I have been exploring more and seeing more clearly. The world is much better when you view it in colour rather than just black and white. Hope is vibrant, full of colour, and a lack of it is despair. Learning to thrive, let alone cope, in difficult times and with negative emotions is not easy. There are still a lot of questions to answer and a lot of life to live. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.
So, ask yourself how emotionally hygienic you are. Are you harbouring pride or anxiety? Is there anything out of sync right now? Maybe it is time to check your emotions and how hygienic you have been over the last day, week or month.
Here are some scriptures that I have been using recently for my emotional hygiene. I hope they help:
Resentment- Mark 11:25
Fear/afraid - Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Timothy 1:7
Do everything by yourself: Isaiah 40:31, Matthew 11:28-30, 1 Peter 5:7
Fellowship and community: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Hebrews 10:25
Finally. If something or someone comes to mind, I recommend dealing with it sooner. Free yourself from that burden. Till next time…
Shine Bright,
Steph
Emotional hygiene as a concept is something I’ve thought about but never managed to articulate, such a good piece!