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CHIME

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Throughout this month, I have seen many patients struggling with deep emotional instability. Given the circumstances, this is more than expected. However, I find this an opportune moment to reintroduce a model of emotional sustainability that can serve as a guide in times of adversity while you work towards a more pleasant, fulfilling, and meaningful life.  

You are already familiar with the foundations of this guide, as I have outlined its core concepts in my last five articles. They are:  

  • C – Connection: Building and maintaining supportive relationships with family, friends, and the community.
  • H – Hope and Optimism about the Future: Believing in the possibility of a better future and working towards positive change.
  • I – Identity: Developing or rediscovering a sense of self that is positive and resilient.
  • M – Meaning in Life: Finding purpose through personal values, spirituality, work, or community engagement.
  • E – Empowerment: Gaining confidence, control, and the ability to make choices that shape one's own life.

These five elements form the basis of emotional sustainability, all of which are directly linked to psychological recovery following significant emotional challenges. They are part of the CHIME acronym in positive psychiatry, which, in turn, represents some of the most well-established evidence-based insights on how to develop and maintain emotional well-being in the face of impactful adversities.  

The practical importance of this approach is that it equips you with greater positivity and fosters resilience, regardless of the difficulties you may encounter. This does not mean dismissing problems, which would inevitably lead to toxic positivity. However, as I discussed in my article from 18 March this year, healing the negatives does not create the positives. You must actively work to cultivate your emotional energy.

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