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Everyone should have a self-care checklist to help them deal with a busy world. Usually, this includes pampering yourself, enjoying a long soak in the tub, or knowing how to separate life and work to prevent burnout. However, while this checklist is effective for your day-to-day lifestyle, it may not always be enough. Traumatic experiences and events can be too much to cope with, and you need more than self-care to deal with your experiences and overcome them.
Allow Yourself Time to Heal
The sooner you understand that there is no time limit on grief and healing, the sooner you will be able to manage your problems and work towards healing. Some people can come to terms with what happened immediately, and they can start the healing process as soon as possible. However, others might not register what has happened until a week or even a month later, and it can take the smallest thing to trigger an emotional reaction. Do not measure your healing with others, and instead take your time.
Do Not Bottle Up Feelings
You may want to put on a brave face for friends and family, but this can severely delay your healing and make it difficult to process your trauma healthily. You cannot act like your traumatic event – whether a car crash, serious injury or witnessing something – did not affect you. People will be there to listen to you, but you can also write down your feelings as a way to process your emotions and work through your trauma. No one else needs to read this, but it can be highly beneficial for you.
Get in Touch With Others
People who did not experience the same trauma can struggle to understand where you are coming from. As helpful as they can be, seeking out other survivors for support can make you feel less alone. These survivors can teach you coping techniques and be there for you in the moments you feel most overwhelmed. You shouldn’t ignore the assistance of friends and family; they can still play a part, but survivor groups can provide another dimension of coping that helps you deal with your trauma.
Accept What Happened
Many people will try to push any trauma to the back of their minds, but this is not a healthy way to deal with trauma. You need closure. You need to accept what happened. This can involve everything from receiving compensation to working with wrongful death attorneys with top-notch experience to get you and your family what you deserve. While it can be challenging to face up to what has happened, it will make it easier to start, or even complete, the healing process. There will still be times where you feel overwhelmed, but you will be more adept at dealing with the issues caused by trauma.
Overcoming
Everyone deals with trauma differently, and there is no wrong way to do it. All you need to know is that you can overcome your trauma, but you cannot do it alone. Don’t be afraid to take your time and reach out to others because this support could be vital for your progress.
Thank you for reading!
