Recently, during a rough time, I struggled with higher-than-normal family conflict, work stress, sleep deprivation and dehydration. Nor did I eat nutritious food or exercise like I usually do.

I ran into a friend who is a mental health professional, and after I vented a bit, she said, “You need to do something for YOU today.”

“Hmmm, she was right! My self-care was not existent. And WHAT exactly did that even mean to me right now, right here, this moment?”

For many, stress continues to build until a hair-trigger is released by an unexpected letdown. Changes in plans or inconveniences are met with impatience and emotional over-reactions. Sometimes another's negative mood or criticism can ruin entire days.

The antidote to this inner turmoil is emotional resilience, an element of emotional intelligence that allows one to adapt to and recover from stress and negativity more easily. The good news is that you can actively improve your emotional resilience and noticeably increase your happiness.

Getting in touch with one’s feelings is not that easy for most of us. We have been taught to suppress and hide certain feelings. For instance, when we are feeling down and blue, we are often told to put on a “brave face” and smile, even though we know we are hurting inside. Over time, it can become more difficult to express what we are truly feeling.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Do you ever lash out in anger? Are you surprised when anger bubbles up and lashes out at a loved one unexpectedly?Everyone gets angry sometimes—and some have an anger problem. Anger is often considered a “negative” or “bad” emotion, which we have been taught to suppress and push aside. After all, if we let anger get the best of us, our reactions can lead to negative consequences or hurt ourselves or others. However, to control anger, you must understand it and learn not just to control angry outbursts but to emotionally regulate emotions so you can restrain yourself and express them in [...]

Jealousy is a misunderstood and harshly judged emotion. Who likes to admit to jealousy? And when was the last relationship you heard about that relished their husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend being jealous?

Jealousy can destroy relationships and eat away at us from the inside out. However, at one time or another, most people feel its sting.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Most of us have all done it in at least one area of our lives or another. You know you need to get “it” done, you watch your time running out, you feel your stress build, and still ... you don’t get “it” done. Not until the absolute last minute (if then).

Procrastinating is no stranger. But should you try to make it one?

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

A story—and a need for resiliency.

One beautiful autumn evening, after a full day with clients, I was carrying the groceries through the living room when I noticed my dog's peculiar paw prints on wet carpet. In shock, I quickly dumped the bags on a table and walked into our kitchen, which now resembled a toddler's wading pool.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Have you ever asked, "How do I stop self-sabotaging? or "Why do we sabotage ourselves?" All of us, at some point or another, allow ourselves to get in our own way and self-sabotage ourselves. Whether it is a love relationship, a potential job promotion we've worked tirelessly to achieve or starting our own business, we can be our own worst enemies at times. We can even begin to believe that  we are not deserving of what we have worked so hard to achieve.

Did you know that our emotions play an important role in the decisions we make in the workplace? From deciding how we approach tasks to how we respond to comments co-workers and bosses make, everyone taps into their emotional intelligence, which is also called EQ (emotional quotient).

Estimated reading time: 4.5 minutes