Mental vs. emotional health: do you know the difference?

Nov 12

SOURCE: Calm

Discover the differences between mental and emotional health with some real-life examples. Plus, 5 tips to help you boost your emotional wellness and feel better.

Have you ever felt mentally strong — but still drained? Maybe you’re crushing it at work, checking off every item on your to-do list, and still finding time to see your friends and family, but something just feels… off? Or maybe it’s the opposite. Perhaps you feel emotionally fine, but managing stress and focus has never been harder.

That’s because your mental health and emotional health are two separate things.

It’s easy to mix the two up because they’re so closely related, but when you know the difference between mental and emotional health, you can learn to take better care of yourself.

What’s the difference between mental vs emotional health?

Your mental health affects how you think, make decisions, solve problems, and cope with daily life. When someone has good mental health, they can think logically, learn new things, handle stress, and adapt to changes with greater ease. Of course, mental health conditions, like anxiety or depression, can affect this balance, making it harder to manage.

Your emotional health, on the other hand, is more about how you handle your feelings — whether they seem to be controlling you, or whether you can manage them in a healthy way. This includes recognizing and expressing your feelings appropriately, and being aware of how they influence your behavior. Emotional health also involves maintaining healthy relationships, having empathy for others, and being able to develop strategies to cope with real life.

Both mental and emotional health can influence how you see your experiences, and both deserve your attention to help you live a balanced, healthy life.

Examples of mental health

Good mental health can allow you to think clearly, stay focused, and make decisions. And while people with good mental health might still experience stress or sadness, they’re usually able to bounce back pretty quickly. They might also have an easier time with:

Problem-solving: You’re able to thoroughly examine a problem and come up with a solution.
Managing stress: When faced with challenges, you can stay calm and find ways to cope.
Decision-making: You can weigh the pros and cons before making decisions.
Learning new things: You’re able to pick up new skills or knowledge without feeling overwhelmed.

But having poor mental health can make things feel much harder. You might find it difficult to concentrate, feel overwhelmed by small tasks, or struggle with decision making. For example, someone with depression may have a hard time getting out of bed, let alone solving problems at work or home, and anxiety may cause constant overthinking, making decision-making nearly impossible.

Examples of emotional health

Emotional health is more about whether you have a grip on your feelings. Of course, complicated emotions are a part of life — but how do you handle them? Someone with strong emotional health can experience difficult emotions without letting them dictate their actions. They can find ways to express their feelings in a healthy way, maintain meaningful connections with others, and show compassion to themselves through life’s challenges. They’re also skilled at:

Understanding emotions: You can identify what you’re feeling and why.
Managing emotions: You handle your emotions in a way that feels healthy, like talking about them instead of bottling them up.
Building healthy relationships: You can form positive, supportive relationships with others.
Coping with challenges: You can get through tough times without becoming overwhelmed by your emotions.
Engaging in positive self-talk: When you make mistakes, you can forgive yourself, learn from the experience, and avoid being overwhelmed by guilt or shame.

On the other hand, someone with poor emotional health might struggle to control their feelings or may ignore them altogether, which can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms like withdrawing from others, bottling up emotions, or having frequent mood swings.

How boost your emotional health: 5 tips to feel better

Taking care of your emotional health is just as important as looking after your physical or mental health. After all, when you feel emotionally balanced, it’s easier to handle stress, connect with others, and enjoy life.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or just off lately, try to focus more on boosting your emotional wellbeing with these five tips. (As a bonus, they may also boost your mental health.)

1. Practice mindfulness to get clarity

Mindfulness can help you stay present and aware of your feelings without getting caught up in them. When you’re being mindful, you take a step back from your emotions and observe them instead of reacting right away, which can support your emotional health.

Start with just a few minutes of mindfulness each day. Sit quietly, focus on your breathing, or take a mindful walk. Notice what’s happening in your mind and body without judging it. This can help you become more in tune with your emotions, making it easier to understand and manage them.

2. Explore (and share) your feelings

Opening up to a friend, family member, or therapist can help you process your emotions better. Don’t wait until you’re feeling really upset to talk about your emotions. Instead, regularly check in with someone you trust. This can help you build stronger emotional health over time.

If talking isn’t your thing, try writing in a journal. Putting your feelings into words—even just for yourself—can help you make sense of them.

3. Invest in your relationships

Surrounding yourself with supportive people can lift your spirits when you're feeling down — and help you celebrate the good moments, too. Focus on building relationships with friends, family members, or a support group where you feel safe, heard, and understood.

Lean on others when you need help, and check in on the people who matter to you as well. A simple phone call or a coffee catch-up can do wonders for your emotional health.

4. Be a better friend to yourself

We can be our own worst critics, but try to treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you’d offer a friend.

Next time you make a mistake or have a tough day, remind yourself that it's okay to not be perfect: Everyone struggles, and it's a normal part of life. Instead of beating yourself up, acknowledge your feelings and try to offer yourself support. This shift in mindset can help reduce stress and make you feel more emotionally balanced.

5. Set boundaries that honor your needs

Know your limits and protect your emotional energy by setting boundaries. This might mean saying “no” to things that drain you, creating space for self-care, or limiting time with certain people.

Healthy boundaries can look different for everyone, and can change depending on what you’re going through. Say work has been overwhelming: you might set a boundary by logging off at a certain time each day so you can unwind. Or, if a relationship’s making you feel anxious or upset, take a step back and focus on yourself for a while. Setting boundaries isn’t selfish — it’s self-care that allows you to recharge and protect your emotional health.

Mental vs emotional health FAQs

How does mental health affect emotional health?

Mental health and emotional health are closely linked. And when one suffers, the other can too.

When your mental health is strong, you can process your emotions better and respond to challenges calmly. So, when you're thinking clearly and managing stress well, you're less likely to feel overwhelmed or act impulsively in emotional situations.

But if your mental health declines—due to anxiety, depression, or constant stress—emotions can become harder to manage. You might feel irritable, sad, or emotionally numb as your mind focuses on just getting through the day. This can create an emotional fog.

Prioritize your mental health by addressing stress, practicing self-care, or talking to a mental health professional. This can help you improve how you handle your emotions.

What are common signs of poor emotional health?

When your emotional health is struggling, it often shows in how you react to everyday situations and relationships. These signs don’t mean something’s “wrong” with you, they just show you may need to pause and care for yourself.

Feeling overwhelmed by emotions: You might cry more than usual, get angry over small things, or feel like your emotions are out of control, even without a clear reason.
Finding it harder to connect with others: You might withdraw from relationships or feel distant from loved ones.
Struggling to express your feelings or feeling misunderstood: If you bottle up emotions or avoid tough conversations to avoid dealing with how you feel, you might need to focus on your emotional wellbeing.

Can you be mentally healthy but emotionally unhealthy?

It's possible to be mentally healthy but emotionally unhealthy. Someone with good mental health can think clearly, solve problems, and handle their daily responsibilities, but still struggle with understanding or managing their emotions.

So, you might excel at work, handle stress well, and make smart decisions, but feel emotionally disconnected or unable to express your feelings. You might feel numb, avoid emotional conversations, or find it hard to form deep connections. Even if your mind’s functioning, bottling up emotions can leave you feeling empty or unsatisfied, despite everything appearing fine on the surface.

You can improve your emotional health by learning to recognize your feelings, express them healthily, and build deeper emotional connections with others.

What are some daily practices to improve emotional health?

With small daily practices, you can make real improvements to your emotional health.

Practice mindfulness: Taking just a few minutes each day to pause, breathe, and check in with your feelings can increase your emotional awareness.
Journal: Release your thoughts on paper to help you understand your emotions and feel more in control.
Build strong connections: Regularly reach out to friends or family, with a quick text or call. Sharing your feelings and listening to others can create the emotional support needed for balance.
Have self-compassion: Be kind to yourself when things don’t go perfectly. Everyone has tough days, and it’s okay to not have everything together sometimes.
Set boundaries with people or activities that drain your energy: Say no to extra work responsibilities, or take a break from social media to help protect your emotional wellbeing. This can help you stay grounded and in touch with your feelings.

What is an example of how mental and emotional health can affect behavior?

Imagine you're facing a lot of stress at work. Mentally, you might feel overwhelmed, which can make it hard to focus or make decisions. This strain can affect your emotional health, leading to feelings of anxiety, frustration, or irritability without understanding why. These emotions can impact your behavior — you might snap at a loved one over a simple question, or feel too drained to enjoy spending time with friends or family.

If you're emotionally struggling—feeling sad, anxious, or angry often—it can also affect your mental health, making it difficult to concentrate or solve problems at work because your mind’s preoccupied with your emotions.

In both cases, your thoughts (mental health) and feelings (emotional health) shape how you react to the world. Look out for how these areas influence each other, so you can recognize when to pause, reflect, and care for your wellbeing.