Do You Pay Attention to Your Emotional Health?

Do you know that loneliness suppresses the immune system and makes you more vulnerable to all kinds of illnesses and diseases? Do you know that the way your mind reacts to failure can actually cause more failure?

Do you know the damage you're causing by replaying negative events in your head?  In this fascinating TED talk, you're going to hear all kinds of juicy nuggets.

"Ruminating about upsetting events in this way can easily become a habit,and it's a very costly one.Because by spending so much time focused on upsetting and negative thoughts,you are actually putting yourself at significant riskfor developing clinical depression, alcoholism, eating disorders,and even cardiovascular disease."

Some of the statements above may seem obvious, but the broader point of this talk is how little we nurture and understand what's required for emotional health.

It's worth watching when you have the chance.

We'll go to the doctor when we feel flu-ish or a nagging pain. So why don't we see a health professional when we feel emotional pain: guilt, loss, loneliness? Too many of us deal with common psychological-health issues on our own, says Guy Winch. But we don't have to.

More important, it's worth knowing how to administer emotional first aid.