How to Deal with Trauma: Steps Toward Healing

Trauma can deeply impact our daily lives, both mentally and physically. Feeling anxious or angry, having trouble sleeping or focusing, or if you just can’t stop thinking about what happened is completely normal. Finding healthy strategies to deal with and recover is important, regardless of whether the stress is coming from a recent loss or a past experience.

There are many different steps that can help guide you through the process of healing. It is necessary to understand that everyone is on their own path and what works for one might not work for another. Being kind to yourself and realizing that this is not an easy journey and that it takes time is essential.

→ Accept and lean into your emotions. It is normal to feel anxious or downhearted. The first step to healing is acknowledging and embracing your feelings.

→ Spend time with trusted friends and family members who are supportive. Whether or not you are ready to talk about it, spending quality time with loved ones is important and can improve mental well-being.

→ Try to keep a consistent routine. Find something that works for you! This can include cooking healthy meals, finding exercise you enjoy, or creating a bedtime routine.

→ Avoiding alcohol. There have been benefits shown if this is something you want to try. Depending on how much you already drink, you can always start small by having one less drink than normal and go from there!

→ Incorporate self-care habits into your day. Finding time in your day for yourself can help manage your emotions. This can be as simple as meditating for 5 minutes when you wake up or journaling before you go to bed.

→ Finding professional help. Talking to a therapist or mental health professional can be extremely valuable. Allowing yourself to open up and talk about how you feel can really make a huge difference. You should never feel like you are going through the process alone.

With everything going on in the world it is necessary to take a step back sometimes and work through your past so you can show up as a better version of yourself. You should never feel like what is bothering or affecting you is not important.