4 Things to Learn in Trauma Recovery

1.       How to say NO (and mean it).  This allows you to make the move from being powerless over change to having control of your life.  Giving yourself permission to say NO and stick to it is also part of learning to set and keep healthy boundaries.  Saying NO appropriately does not mean you are being rude or unhelpful.  It can mean that you are taking back control of your life, your time, and your space.  Say YES because you want to not because you feel that you have to. 

2.      How to view Yourself.  To become the neutral observer of your life experiences.  Think about how you would describe yourself.  What words do you pick?  Why?  Past traumas can definitely impact the way you view yourself.  This may mean you are viewing yourself through a distorted lens of past events rather than having a clear perspective of who you are now.

3.      How to use compassionate self-talk.  Your inner self heals by the practice of self-compassion.   Learning to use compassionate self-talk can be a very difficult lesson for some.  But learning to care about you and the you who experienced trauma is very healing.  This is a lesson which will begin to bring a sense of calm and peace.

4.      How to work through triggers.  Triggers may cause you to automatically react in ways that cause you more harm than good.  Pause, Breathe, and recognize these triggers and emotional reactions.  Learn to recognize triggers as moments which bring up emotional and physical memories of past events.  Working though this may mean recognizing present-moment safety levels and practicing mindfulness grounding techniques.

Trauma recovery takes real work and is not always an easy journey.  Learning how to stop reacting and start responding to life will lead to a much healthier you!