Last Updated on December 20, 2023
Everyone faces adversities, traumas, challenges, and other stresses at one point in life or another. But what most people don’t realize is that trauma isn’t only about catastrophic events, terrorism, or abuse. Traumas may also be the result of less obvious events but still affect your coping ability, such as losing a job or frequent arguments at home.
Any kind of trauma can impact your mental health but brushing up on your resiliency will help put your mind and heart at ease. Here are some tips on how to deal with traumatic events and rise above these challenges.
Connect with People Around You
Staying connected with other people is one of the best ways to cope with trauma. However, those who have trauma often choose to isolate themselves from others and ignore the importance of connection. Rather than shutting out others, don’t hesitate to connect with people you care about and who care about you. These can include your family members, close friends, or someone you trust.
Give Yourself Enough Space
Aside from trying to forget everything that happened or pushing their feelings aside, a lot of people also try to throw themselves back into the mix just to distract themselves. However, while it helps to stick to structure and maintain connections, giving yourself enough time and space is still important.
Bask in your private time and relish this chance to relax and unwind. While it might be difficult because it will leave you alone with all your thoughts, it is still necessary and something you shouldn’t avoid.
It’s Okay Not to be Okay
When people experience something traumatic, they push down their emotions or try to forget everything that happened. These emotions and memories are usually too painful so it’s understandable if you simply want to move on and forget.
However, you won’t be able to do so if you don’t even address your feelings and thoughts in the first place. Yes, it’s okay not to be okay. Feeling what you feel is part of the process of healing yourself from the trauma so allow yourself to feel everything.
Stick to Your Routine
It may seem hard but try your best to stick to your everyday routine. A structure in your life will make it easier for you to avoid getting overwhelmed and stay grounded. For example, make it a point to wake up at the same time every day. Clean your bedroom and your living space. Most importantly, add exercise to your regimen. This routine will give your life purpose so don’t wallow in the negative things that happened.
Recognize Things You Can and Can’t Control
It’s easy for people to think of their trauma when they look back on the traumatic event that happened, making them wonder if there is something that they could have done better. While reflecting on the past and facing the tough emotions head-on are all part of the process of recovering from trauma, be extra careful not to travel down the endless spiral of what ifs and what could have been. You can’t change the situation anymore but you can still do something to decide what will happen in your life moving forward.
