The Table

While talking with a friend we accidentally dialogued an internal conflict I've thought about and dealt with for a while. We talked about how there are four aspects of health: physical, mental, spiritual and emotional.  We believe that it is important to have reserves of each aspect, to be prepared in times of need or trial.
Each aspect is like the leg of a table.If three of them are strong, the table will still stand, but it will be weaker without the other one.  Sometimes a trial is set on the table and because of the imbalance (like a shorter leg), the table will tilt.  Making the leg on the other side seem too short as well.
My weakest leg typically is the emotional side.  I feel upset and overwhelmed a lot and it makes me feel unbalanced.  We were discussing how to build up that emotional "food storage."I believe the process is individual for each person.  That is why you won't find comprehensive solutions to making yourself feel better.  You can find helpful hints to your solutions in taking personality tests and learning about love languages.
If you are more introverted, being alone recharges you emotionally.  If you are more extroverted, being with other people recharges you.  But sometimes you need a specific type of interaction to recharge your emotional batteries.  I personally typically crave the interaction of specific people I am really close to in a difficult time. Some people could fill that same need with a random conversation with a stranger.
I believe this is sort of what families are for.  Ideally, your family will be there and help you build up your reserve.  However, most families are human, and don't always do that.  In college I am far away from my family, and they can't help me so much.
Sometimes this puts you in a situation where you're in emotional debt.  Anything they contribute helps, but it doesn't always pay it off.  This can mess with dating.  This can make you yearn for that need to be filled and make you act really weird around people you are interested in.  This can make the problem worse.
So sometimes you need emotional deposits and others are unwilling or unable to help you. For me, a thorough conversation with someone who is paying full attention to me, (partially because my love language is time spent) is like $100.  I've noticed that simple actions can be equivalent to $1-$10.  Sometimes I take myself on a date and get some delicious food, or have a really cool experience and that is worth a bit more.
Each person also reacts differently to different "recharging" activities.  Some people paint and that is their $10. For some people an hour of television is $1. For some people, cleaning is the magic ticket.
Perhaps accomplishing something could be factored in.  Really getting something that's been on your list done could be worth $30 in emotional dollars.
The trick is figuring out what works for you.  It also helps to speak up, and reach out if other people are what you need.

I plan to explore this further in myself and figure out what it is that fills my emotional bank, or strengthens my table leg. This is an essential part of what makes me, myself.