To heal ourselves from past trauma we sometimes have to do the opposite of what we intuitively think we want to do. Some people want to disconnect from their pain or shut down all together, but I want to share some tips that have helped me manage my past trauma pains to help you bring awareness to your body and truly begin to heal.
Art Therapy
Art Therapy explores feelings through the creative process of making art. This can be in the form of adult coloring books (my personal favorite), journaling (write down your top 3 things that bring you happiness and/or what you’re grateful for), free-form scribbling, and more. Sad? Paint a rainbow. Bored? Paint with different colors. Angry? Try ripping paper and making a collage. Aimless? Try cutting up an old magazine and making a vision board. Anything creative to get you out of a rut and into your body again.
Self Love Affirmations
Talking to yourself and about yourself in a loving way really does make a difference. If you’ve been verbally abused, you know how powerful words are. Create 3 loving affirmations about yourself and say them out loud to yourself every morning so that you start the day on the right foot and in a positive headspace. Every night before you go to bed, tell yourself your affirmations again and sleep on them. The more you say them the more they will sink in and the more your mind and body will sync up.
Take a social media break
Sometimes the comparison game is serious, and scrolling on social media doesn’t help with that at all. Consider taking a social media break for 24 hours once a month to start, and then work yourself up to a week break once a month. Stopping the scroll can calm your mind and help you come back to what is really important in your life. Remember that social media posts are usually just the highlights of someone’s life and you are never seeing the full picture.
Dance like no one is watching
Taking a minute for a dance party can be a fun necessity every day for clarity. Whenever I feel like my daughters need a mental break, I’ll turn the music up and have a dance party with them. Not only does it help with stagnancy but it’s a fun way to distract them and then get them back on track!
Find a local therapist
Full disclosure, I started seeing a therapist when I was 16 years old, and having someone to talk to when I didn’t feel understood by anyone was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made. I truly believe that seeing someone and talking through your feelings is not only beneficial for your mental health, but it can really advance you in your healing journey if you find the right person.
At Restorative Counseling Services in Atlanta, they believe that individuals, couples, and families thrive when they experience excellent therapeutic care in a warm and safe environment. Restorative Counseling Services include but are not limited to, anxiety disorders, trauma, couples and families, and grief and loss. We are big fans of couples therapy and love that they believe that when relationships with your partner and family members are healthy and strong, they can be one of the greatest sources of joy in life, to which we wholeheartedly agree with.
Sometimes it can be hard to find an Atlanta Couples Therapist so if you’re in the area and are looking for counseling services, they have a full team waiting to help!
However you choose to start or continue your healing process, know that self-love is the most important love, you are worthy, your voice matters and your feelings are valid.
*FTC: This post was written in partnership with Restorative Counseling Services.
