No matter what type of trauma you experience, it’s still a trauma.
Trauma, no matter if it’s physical or emotional, can affect you, your body, your mind, and your actions and behaviors.
You may feel like the trauma you experience has attached itself to you. It’s part of your life now. It’s who you are. You can’t just shake it away and get over it. It isn’t that easy.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Recovering from emotional trauma is possible. Here’s how to do it.
Take Care of Your Body
If your mental health is suffering, try not to also avoid taking care of your physical health. Make sure you’re fueling your body properly. Go grocery shopping and make healthy and well-balanced meals for yourself. Drink enough water. Prioritize your sleep and aim for at least 8 hours each night. And find time during your day to move your body for at least 30 minutes. When you take care of your physical health, you’ll start to feel better from the inside out.
Practice Mindfulness
A lot of stress and anxiety stems from thinking about things from your past or worrying about things that haven’t even occurred yet in the future. Mindfulness is a great way to bring yourself back to the present moment. Meditating is a great way to help you clear your mind, push away any anxious or negative thoughts and provide you with a better feeling of calmness and peace.
Practice Self-Care
After you experience something like emotional trauma, it can be hard to focus on yourself and your own needs and wants. One of the best things you can do during this time is to take the necessary amount of time to take care of yourself and make sure you’re okay. Self-care isn’t selfish. In fact, it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself. Your version of self-care may look different from your friends or family, and that’s okay. Here are a few different ways you can practice self-care:
- Get a massage
- Read a book
- Spend time with people you love
- Take a bath
Start Journaling
Journaling is another great way to help you slow down any of your anxious or negative thoughts. Journaling allows you to take how you’re feeling and thinking and put everything on the pages of your journal instead of keeping it all locked in your brain with nowhere to go. Write down how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking about. You can also include coping mechanisms you may have used. Journaling is great at the moment, but it’s also an awesome tool to look back on later to help you in the future.
Lean On Your Loved Ones
When you experience any type of trauma, it can be easy to feel alone or isolated. These feelings can actually cause you to withdraw or self-isolate. Try not to do this as the signs and symptoms that you may already be experiencing can actually get worse over time. Lean on your loved ones during this time. They want the best for you and are there for you through the good times and the bad times.
Seek Additional Support
There isn’t a right or a wrong way to heal from trauma. Everyone has their own unique experience, so there isn’t a one size fits all approach to the healing process.
Sure, there are things you can do on your end to start the healing process, but if you’re still feeling like it’s not enough, it’s okay to reach out for additional help.
A therapist can work with you to get to the root cause of your trauma, help you work through any signs or symptoms you may be experiencing, and incorporate coping mechanisms for you to better manage your thoughts and emotions.
Healing from emotional trauma is possible. We’re here to help. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation.