All health issues, whether physical or emotional can be reduced to an element of either toxicity or deficiency. There are either foreign substances like bacteria, viruses and environmental pollutants or trauma that the body is trying to fight against that breaks down organ systems. These toxins generate dysfunctional physical and emotional coping mechanisms. These patterns run interference with what would be normal healthy systems for growth and development.
Another component of depleted physical or emotional health is deficiency, which is the lack of external love and support in our lives. It can also be the lack of self-care and not knowing how to nurture self or others.
The IPT process helps us “let go” of emotional toxicity by addressing misinformation and toxic belief systems. And it also includes reconfiguring these beliefs in such a way that they nourish our minds and hearts and supplement emotional deficiencies. When these toxic negative belief systems are addressed and appropriate nurturing for self-care is put into place there can be sustainable emotional health.
Here are some ideas of ways to nurture self and others and boost our emotional/mental health.
Service
Quality time
Gifts
Physical touch
Words of affirmation
Here are a few tips about how to offer supplementation that can counter emotional deficiency. Let’s do better with how we nurture and affirm ourselves and others.
Increase verbal praise, appreciation, and validation to those around you. Focus on building your kids and include your spouse or partner.
Use their name when you compliment them for an admirable act or a virtue.
Use an example of how their act of kindness or their expression of gratitude touched your heart.
Affirm more than just externals. While it's nice to be complimented for our looks or our contributions, it’s even better to receive affirmation for our effort. If you know that someone is trying to develop a skill, habit, or personal quality, point out a moment when you saw them succeed at it.
For example, you can affirm their commitment to improving their math scores and working hard at it. This gives that person an opportunity to know that they are loved for their efforts, not their final performance or the end result.
Be aware of your own self-talk. Be kind to your self and others.
Focus on the positive that you see in your self and others and you will get more of it!
Research has shown that words can help plants grow. Words have the power to destroy or they can be used to bless, build and grow people. CHOOSE TO SUSTAIN EMOTIONAL HEALTH BY BEING KIND WITH YOUR WORDS!
What you focus on GROWS!
Loves always,
Pam