Every year, we spend millions of dollars on healthcare and beauty systems. Our days begin with teeth brushing, hair combing, and perhaps even exercise. Even if there are still many who need persuading or incentive’s towards participating in such routines, there is a general consensus that these self-care rituals are good for us.

But when it comes to our emotional health, we are taught from a young age to “get over” our feelings, and yet in reality most of us just stockpile them, carrying their weight throughout life. Even though we are not conscious of them, the feelings are weighing us down from the life we want to live. The messages they create—of not being good enough, not worthy, undeserving–become the guiding principles of our lives. Our goal is to become aware of our feelings. Then subscribe to the habit of daily rituals for our emotional health, just as we have for our physical health. By doing this we can free ourselves from the destructive and unresolved feelings of the unconscious mind and begin to direct our lives from our authentic self where our true passions and desires reside.

Laura Coe’s first book, Emotional Obesity, is available to purchase on Amazon January 2015. For updates and more information, sign up on emotionalobesity.com.