Traumatizing events can always leave a permanent scar on your life, primarily if they result in massive damage to your physical, mental, and emotional capacity.
Any situation that has happened to you or other individuals shouldn’t be taken lightly as it can also manifest your physical health. Although every person has their own way of addressing trauma, this doesn’t dismiss various victims’ grave and light occurrences.
Additionally, stress can also result from trauma because of the flashbacks that can happen to the victim. Some of the traumatic events that can significantly affect you are: losing a loved one, a relationship, enduring harassment or abuse, or a catastrophe that has hit your community.
Regardless of the traumatic events that have happened to you or anyone you know, there are still ways to recover from these damaging events. Hence, this article will give you insights and ways on how you can heal yourself from traumatic events.
Be Open And Seek Professional Help
Any traumatic event can cause apprehension, and trust is something that you’re probably reluctant to give. Despite this, reaching out to a person you trust can be the first yet most significant step that you can make towards healing.
Seeking professional help is a positive sign that you’re willing to heal from your traumatic past. Moreover, this can free your anxiety or other manifestations that affect your health in all aspects. If you want to get help, you can avail therapy if you think you’re comfortable with it.
Moreover, you can begin by searching professional services online or visit the website https://jacksonhousecares.com/about-us/locations/santa-paula/ to learn more about various mental health services offered. These professionals ensure that your comfortability is not compromised, thus working with your trauma while providing the best possible care.
Do Some Leisure Or Physical Activities
Exercise has been studied and has positive effects on helping individuals experiencing post-traumatic symptoms or other mental health problems. Physical or leisure activities can help you heal and provide your body with endorphins that will boost your emotions.
If you’re not that active, you can still consider taking a walk, short jogging, or stretching. Moreover, you can also engage in fun activities like biking or following an introductory yoga video.
Any actions requiring you to move even in a slight motion can still improve your emotions or can temporarily distract you from your thoughts. Hence, it can be a coping mechanism that can aid you throughout your healing process.
Eat a Healthy and Balanced Diet
According to some studies, food impacts mental health. For instance, regularly consuming unhealthy and processed food high in sugar could cause chronic inflammation. This could also lead to mood disorders or a decline in emotional well-being because of the preservatives added to various products.
Make sure to check on what you’re eating and drinking. Hence, it would be best to consume healthy food, such as fish, fruits, and vegetables, to stay physically and emotionally healthy. Eating a good and balanced diet may lead to physical fitness, which can improve your self-esteem and emotional well-being.
Explore a Hobby as a Coping Mechanism
Aside from physical activities, like sports, you can also discover a hobby or pastime to help yourself recover positively from a traumatic event. Having a hobby or interest is a fantastic way to improve your self-esteem and mental well-being. Moreover, the hobby you’re about to learn can also be your coping mechanism in your healing journey.
There are plenty of hobbies that you can explore, such as listening to or composing music, reading books, drawing, playing games, planting, or collecting certain items. As long as it makes you happy, you can continue your hobby and divert your thoughts for a while. This way, you can also endure a peaceful transition in your life while trying to forget the traumatic event.
Take Breaks For Your Mental Health
Getting tired from the things you do on a typical day can be a sign or result of the traumatic event you have experienced. Since it takes a lot of energy to recover from trauma, it’s understandable that you may feel as if you don’t have a lot of physical energy. In some cases, trauma can event affect your logical abilities.
Hence, it’s best to take breaks and relax. Being kind with yourself during this time of low energy, whether physical or mental, is the best approach to deal with it. Take pauses, even from your regular routines. Most importantly, giving yourself a break helps you maintain your energy and avoid getting tired easily.
Talk To Your Loved Ones And Connect With Them
After a traumatic event, you have probably isolated yourself because of the trust lost in other people, or you may have wanted to stay in a quiet place, away from the noise surrounding you. Although this may somehow make you feel at ease, this can also harm your mental health.
Thus, it would be best to make an effort to maintain your relationships and avoid spending too much time alone since connecting with individuals can help you heal. In this case, a simple conversation can go a long way.
When connecting with other people and starting a conversation, you can always talk about topics you’re interested in. For instance, you can ask them about a recent movie they’ve seen, games they’re currently playing, or places they love to visit. This way, you are also getting an idea of what you can do during your free time.
Just keep in mind that, in a conversation, you are not required to discuss the trauma and damage if you’re uncomfortable doing so. At the same time, feel free to open these subjects when you’re mentally and emotionally prepared.
Practice On Expressing Your Feelings
If you want to start expressing your feelings again, and you think that it will be helpful to you, you can give it a shot by jumping on a small diary or journal. Since it’s personal, you can create a daily log of your emotions or have a checklist to monitor your emotional development. This way, slowly observing yourself can help if you’re genuinely healing from the traumatic event you have encountered.
Moreover, it’s okay if you always feel rage, sadness, or grief as long as you’re genuine to yourself. Expressing your emotions will help you heal and positively respond to your trauma. It’s also okay if you have some challenges with being expressive, and it’s natural to experience a wide range of emotions. Thus, there’s nothing wrong if you’re enduring it, again and again. Your feelings are always valid.
Avoid Consuming Social Media As Much As Possible
It is advisable to avoid watching, listening to, or reading a lot of information about the incident connected to your trauma, especially if it causes you to recall the traumatic situation. In this case, it would be best to avoid consuming the details. Moreover, if reading too much online takes a toll on your health, you can take a break and do a social media detox.
Social media can be one of the factors that can cause emotional distress, primarily if there are no trigger warnings to various videos or stories posted. It may be tempting to read some of the news, but it would be best to avoid them to prevent the adverse effects of trauma.
Try To Maintain a Positive Mindset
This may sound absurd given the unfortunate situation you’ve experienced, but negative thoughts about yourself and others can also harm your emotional well-being. Moreover, it can reduce your chances of moving on and fulfilling life. Thus, it would be best to be open and forgive yourself and others because what you’ve gone through is not your fault.
You can try to have a positive mindset but be reminded that you should not impose or force it on yourself. Doing so may result in toxic positivity in your life and only cover up your true feelings. Maintaining a positive mindset means you know that you’ll heal and you’re ready to move forward. If you’re in this process, you’re on the right track in regaining your confidence and self-trust.
Give Yourself a Break And Meditate
Meditating and minding your peace is one act that has been shown to help in healing. Hence, this quiet activity might assist you in reducing stress. Meditation or breathwork, which are natural extensions of having self-peace, may reduce stress and help you feel more relaxed and settled in your life.
Furthermore, this activity can also bring you to a safer space as you clear your thoughts while focusing on your breathing. Meditation can be a venue for you to let out the heaviness you’re enduring whenever it recurs. Aside from this, you should also give yourself a break if you don’t feel like doing something because you may experience exhaustion or burnout from your surroundings.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that healing isn’t linear. You are allowed to feel different emotions in the process.
You can be fine one day, but you can also be sad or experiencing grief at other times. Your feelings are always valid, regardless of the situation that you’ve been through. Don’t be afraid to seek support or professional help, as this is a big step in healing.
Lastly, try not to bottle up your feelings. Your situation is always understandable, regardless of how it affects your overall well-being.
Moreover, the people who genuinely love you will support you and give you time to process and work on your healing journey. Consider them your safe space and the ones who will be there for you along the way.