This guide leads readers through the physiology of emotions, to show how everyday emotional traumas can affect our physical health.

Face your emotions head on and take control of your life

How many times have you said 'I'm fine!', when really you're not? Bottling up emotions can wear out your body, damaging your physical appearance and internal organs as well as limiting the way you think and communicate. This expert toolkit contains all the strategies you need to recognise and resolve harmful emotional states, leaving you physically and mentally ready to face present and future challenges with confidence.

• Discover the basics — explore the physiology of emotions and how emotional trauma can result in lasting physical symptoms

• Tune into your body — revamp your diet, exercise, breathing and sleep patterns to help create inner calm

• Put your feelings into context — map out your emotional history, resolve lingering issues and learn to focus on the positive

• Heal yourself — practise mindfulness, motivate yourself to change and free your creative spirit

• Look ahead — identify long-term challenges and plan ways to help yourself and others deal with difficult emotions

Open the book and find:

• Ways to boost your body's immune system against stress and fatigue

• Tips on enhancing your emotional intelligence

• Pointers on forging meaningful relationships

• Guidance on identifying support networks

• Advice on letting go of past grief, anger and rejection

• How to improve your work-life balance

• Ways to rebalance your emotional chemistry

• The lowdown on the healing power of laughter

"Emotional experiences, like it or not, always form emotional scars . . . but this book goes a long way to making them a lot less painful. Full of kindness, compassion, good sense, facts and intelligent strategies, this truly helpful guide leaves most self-help books far behind."
—Virginia Ironside, Agony Aunt at The Independent

At some point in their lives, most people will have thought:

• “He should never have said that”
• “How could she treat me this way?”
• “I feel guilty when I remember what I said to him”
• “I’m so angry I can’t bear it”

Usually, we don’t feel that we can discuss these hurtful emotions, such as guilt, anger or jealousy, with our friends and families, let alone go to a GP for advice on dealing with them. We’re a nation that bottles things up, dismissing anger, frustration, hatred and guilt as largely insignificant to our minds and bodies. But powerful emotions like these do affect us in a long-term way, not only mentally but also physically, and it’s important to know how to get them under control before our health really suffers.

This easy-to-follow, plain-English guide shows you why and how emotions can leave a physical scar, and talks about various life factors and influences that can lead to emotional stress. It will help you heal your emotional traumas with a toolkit of strategies, and allows you to take care of your health with a practical, hands-on approach.

Emotional Healing For Dummies covers:

PART 1: INTRODUCING EMOTIONAL HEALING
Chapter 1: Understanding Emotional Healing
Chapter 2: Exploring the Physiology of Emotion
Chapter 3: Tuning into Emotions

PART 2: EMOTIONS AND YOUR BODY
Chapter 4: You are What you Eat
Chapter 5: Body Rhythms
Chapter 6: Physical Strategies for Emotional Healing

PART 3: EMOTIONAL HEALING FOR REAL LIFE
Chapter 7: Mapping the Emotional Environment
Chapter 8: Facing up to Emotional Challenges
Chapter 9: Managing Relationships
Chapter 10: Strategies for Getting through Tough Times
Chapter 11: Life’s Transitions

PART 4: THE EMOTIONAL HEALING TOOLKIT
Chapter 12: Thinking Strategies for Emotional Healing
Chapter 13: Mindfulness Practices to Rebalance
Chapter 14: Lifestyle Strategies for Emotional Healing
Chapter 15: Becoming the Emotionally Healed Person

PART 5: TAKING YOUR HEALING TO ANOTHER LEVEL
Chapter 16: Planning to Manage Emotions in the Future
Chapter 17: Inspiring Healing in Others
Chapter 18: Helping your Child to Heal

PART 6: THE PART OF TENS
Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Heal Emotional Wounds
Chapter 20 Ten Ways to Stay Positive
Chapter 21: Ten Exercises for Emotional Healing