Knowing how to manage your mental and emotional health are key to maintaining positive wellbeing. But, emotional health doesn’t seem to get talked about nearly as much as mental health does, despite its importance to your wellbeing. And whether you’re an expert on mental health or just starting to learn, understanding the difference between emotional vs. mental health can be daunting.
That’s why we’re diving into what mental health and emotional health actually are. Understanding the differences and similarities between your emotional health and mental health will help you identify specific strategies you can use to feel better during the day, and while you sleep. If you’re having trouble mentally or emotionally, keep reading.
What is mental health?
If you want to get technical, here’s the definition from the CDC, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.”
Now let’s break that down. It’s helpful to think of mental health as how you process and interpret information. This means it involves your cognitive processes.
It’s important to know that mental health is something that we all have. And just like physical health, it exists on a spectrum. There are times when your mental health will be great, and other times when you may struggle more. Mental illness is when your thoughts, feelings and perceptions start to negatively affect day-to-day functioning.
What is emotional health?
Emotional health is your ability to manage and express emotions that arise from what you have learned and experienced.
Emotional health is more narrow in scope than mental health, though it does involve your emotional intelligence and emotional regulation (how well you can control your emotions).
What is the difference between mental health and emotional health?
Put simply, mental health is about how you interpret the world around you. Whereas emotional health focuses on how you express those emotions that arise.
So you could have great mental health but poor emotional health if you don’t know how to express your emotions properly and vice versa. Another difference is that mental health is usually associated with disorders and disabilities, whereas emotional health is mainly associated with issues like stress.
Why is emotional health important?
If you’re not able to properly express your emotions it can be hard to identify the root of your struggles. It also means you may have a hard time connecting with others feeling similar emotions, which could lead to feelings of isolation.
Why is mental health important?
For years mental health has been dismissed as the less “legitimate” side of personal health. Of course, we know that’s not true. According to the Canadian Mental Health Foundation, mental health has the ability to impact social and cognitive functions, which makes it harder to engage in healthy behaviours (like getting a good night’s sleep). In fact, the Canadian Institute for Health Information found that Canadians reporting depression also report experiencing three times as many chronic physical conditions as the general population.
How do mental and emotional illnesses affect social health?
Though physical, mental and emotional health is different, they are all ultimately connected to each other - as is your social health.
There’s a strong link between positive emotional health and positive social health. Social health is your ability to interact and form meaningful relationships with people. Being able to set boundaries, adapt to social situations, and form relationships is a sign of good emotional and social health. If you’re struggling to express your emotions or are having a hard time interpreting the world around you, all of this can become harder.
Why emotional and mental health matters
Like we said above, mental and emotional health are closely related to your physical health. When one is lacking, it’s easier for the others to follow. Knowing how to identify what part of your health you’re struggling with can help you identify the specific strategies you need to feel better.
If you’re looking for simple ways to improve your emotional and mental health, check out these helpful meditations from BetterSleep.
