3 Great Ways to Help You Heal From the Trauma of 2020

With 2020 in the rear-view mirror, you may feel eager to move past the challenges the year presented. After all of the negativity, social distancing, and unknown, you may not remember what normalcy feels like. The pandemic, intense social issues, natural disasters, and a heated election may have been traumatic to live through. As a result, people of all ages, races, and genders may now be living with unresolved trauma.

Trauma can occur in a variety of ways. For example, you can experience a traumatic event firsthand or as a witness. The impact can lead to both physical and mental health issues. Instead of feeling hopeful and happy, you may feel stuck in the moment, anxious, and depressed. So, while you may be feeling eager to move forward, you may need to process and heal from your trauma to do so.

Let’s talk about trauma. We’ll highlight three great ideas that may help you begin to heal from the traumatic events of 2020.

What Is Trauma?
Trauma occurs after one is exposed to a situation of high intensity, stress, and emotion. For example, a car accident, domestic violence, natural disasters, and war can all lead to trauma. For some, trauma can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder. Trauma symptoms may not be as debilitating as those of PTSD for some people, but they may still make life difficult to manage.

The impact of trauma can be life-changing. Adults and children alike may experience symptoms. Likewise, symptoms can be both physical and emotional. For example, after a traumatic event, you may feel helpless, in shock, or experience intense sadness. You may live in fear and no longer feel a sense of safety or security. As a result, symptoms can progress to anxiety, depression, irritability, anger, guilt, fear, or hopelessness.

We can help you begin to heal from trauma. Here’s a Few Ideas That May Help You Begin to Heal From Trauma
Self-care. Sleeplessness may leave you feeling like a walking zombie. As such, you may struggle to concentrate on a task or get lost in your emotions. This can become a vicious cycle. However, self-care may serve as your first line of defense. Here are some ideas of self-care:

– make good food choices
– stick to a routine as much as possible
– exercise (even a short walk outside in the sun could help)
– personal hygiene (getting yourself ready for the day, gets you out of bed and can enhance your mood)
– do something you love (turn off social media and tune into something you find fulfilling)
– Reach out for Support
– Talking to someone may be a crucial life-line for your mental health. Likewise, acknowledging your emotions can be a vital component of healing. If you don’t have anyone to talk to, you could write in a journal. Releasing your thoughts and feelings may help you process your experience.
– Practice meditation or mindfulness. It’s easy to get lost in thoughts and fears when you’re living with unresolved trauma. However, meditation or mindfulness may help you to stay in the moment. Meditating may provide you with a sense of calmness and help you quiet your thoughts. Likewise, the practice of mindfulness can help you acknowledge your emotions without judgment. Both may reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

Living with unprocessed trauma can lead to physical and mental health issues. Likewise, symptoms can interrupt and impact your daily life. However, healing is possible, and you don’t have to go through this alone. If you’re feeling stuck, we may be able to help. At Forth Worth Counseling & Intervention, we specialize in trauma treatment. We understand the complexities that come with traumatic experiences. We would love to see if we can help you heal. Call us today.