"How Are You, Really?" by Dana Smith (NY Times 28 Feb 2024) poses important questions to ask oneself about emotional health:

• Mood
  • How would you describe your mood most days?
  • Is it generally positive, generally negative or a mix?
  • Do you tend to feel more positive or negative emotions throughout the day?
• Self Talk
  • Is your inner monologue more self-critical or self-compassionate?
  • When trying something new, do you think you’re going to succeed, or are you sure you’re going to fail?
  • If you make a mistake, do you beat yourself up afterward, or do you give yourself the benefit of the doubt?
• Physical Health
  • How is your physical health, generally?
  • How often do you sleep for seven to nine hours a night?
  • How much physical activity do you do each week?
• Relationships
  • Do you feel like you have strong relationships with family, friends, neighbors or co-workers?
  • How often do you see people socially every week?
  • Do you have someone you could call in an emergency?
• Meaning and Purpose
  • Are there things in your life that give you a sense of meaning or purpose? (This could be through work, volunteering, hobbies, a religious community or caring for others.)
  • Do you have a sense of responsibility to something or someone other than yourself?
  • Do you feel that your contributions matter?
• Competency
  • Do you feel like there are things in your life that you’re good at?
  • Are there parts of your life that give you a sense of accomplishment?
  • Do you feel like you are generally a capable person?
• Flow
  • How often do you feel completely absorbed in what you’re doing?
  • Do you ever lose track of time while you’re working or doing a hobby?
  • Do you look forward to participating in those activities?
• Control and Autonomy
  • Do you feel like you are generally in control of your life?
  • Do you feel like you have autonomy and agency, at work and at home?
  • Do you make the major decisions about your life, or does someone else?
• Money and Resources
  • Do you have enough financial resources to support yourself and your family?
  • Do you ever have to worry about necessities, like food or housing?
  • Do you have the resources and support you need to do your job well?
• Fairness
  • Do you feel like the world is generally a fair place?
  • Are there systems that stymie you?
  • Do you feel like you have as many opportunities as the next person?
• Life Satisfaction
  • Generally speaking, how satisfied are you with your life?
  • Have you achieved, or are you on the path to achieve, most of the important things you wanted?
  • Are there major aspects of your life that you would change?

Suggested exercises to help with areas of the above that might be challenging:

• in the evening "... write down three things that went well that day, and why ..."
• "... try talking to yourself as you would a friend ... remind yourself of moments when you’ve succeeded ... be gentle with yourself ..."
• strive for "... at least seven hours [sleep] a night ... 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, plus two days of strength training, each week ..."
• "... make spending time with friends and family a priority ... give people your full attention ... offer your time to your community ..."
• try "... thinking about what your values are, or how you might like to be remembered ..."
• "... learning from — and ultimately mastering — [a new] challenge can lead to a sense of accomplishment ..."
• experience "... working on a task that is interesting and meaningful to you, challenging enough to keep you engaged but not so hard that you get frustrated, and where you have a clear sense of what the goals and correct steps are so that you can assess how you’re doing as you go ..."
• seek "... some direction and control over what’s happening, some capacity to be autonomous ..."

And remember not to blame self for outside forces:

• "... capacity to thrive or withstand stress doesn’t just lie within [oneself]. It is also tied up with having the means and opportunities to do so ..."
• "... fair treatment by larger systems greatly influences our ability to thrive. In an unfair system, it is still possible to flourish in parts of your life (like in your relationships or physical health), but it can be harder ..."

Yes, the list is a bit long and the items overlap somewhat, but they're nonetheless excellent suggestions to consider as part of a life-inventory!

_{(cf Social Wealth (2005-05-18), The Meaning of Life (2008-07-24), This Is Water (2009-05-21), Models of Happiness (2012-01-05), Best Self (2013-12-14), Resilience Skills (2020-12-14), Retirement Mental Health Advice (2023-05-25), List of Questions to Generate Gratitude (2023-06-16), ...) - ^z - 2024-03-01}