Self-Care After Trauma: A Guide to Self-Healing
Self-Care – Trauma, whether from a single event or a series of difficult experiences, can leave lasting scars on the mind and body. Living through trauma requires patience, support, and, perhaps most importantly, self-compassion.
As a mental health therapist, I have seen firsthand how prioritizing self-care can change the healing journey, making it easier to manage and utilize.
Here is a guide to implementing self-care after trauma, designed to help you nurture yourself as you move toward resilience.
- Acknowledge Your Trauma with Compassion
It’s natural to want to avoid thinking about painful experiences. However, one of the first steps toward healing is to allow yourself to acknowledge and validate what you’ve experienced. Acknowledging trauma doesn’t mean reliving it, but rather accepting it as part of your narrative.
Give yourself permission to feel your emotions without judgment. You might consider journaling, practicing mindfulness, or simply speaking to yourself with the same kindness you would to a friend. Remind yourself that your heart is right, and there’s nothing wrong with feeling it.
- Create a Safe Environment for Healing
Trauma can leave us feeling unsafe both physically and emotionally. In order to heal, it’s important to create an environment that feels safe, whether that means adjusting your home space, setting boundaries with others, or seeking solitude when needed.
Make your surroundings comfortable—perhaps by wearing a calming scent, surrounding yourself with meaningful and comforting objects, or dedicating a portion of your home to relaxation or mindfulness practice.
Read Also: Specially Retreat in Bali: Powerful and Emotional
- Rebuild Trust in Your Body
Trauma often leaves us feeling disconnected from our bodies. As part of your self-care, take steps to reconnect and rebuild trust in your physical self.
Gentle physical activities like yoga, stretching, or walking can help. If a particular feeling is uncomfortable, it’s okay to take it slow and find a movement that feels comfortable for you.
- Practice Grounding Techniques
During times of depression, grounding techniques can help you stay present and feel more grounded. Grounding exercises ground you in the present moment and help reduce worry, anxiety, or feelings of dissociation.
Try the 5 senses exercise—identify five things you see, four things you feel, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you experience. This simple tool can help bring you back to a sense of security.
- Nourish Your Body and Mind
When we’re in the midst of healing, it’s easy to take for granted basic things like eating, sleeping, and drinking water. However, these seemingly simple self-care practices can have a big impact on your mental and emotional health.
Try setting reminders to eat, drink water regularly, and try to maintain a consistent sleep routine. Nourishing your body helps restore a sense of balance and calm to your body’s mechanisms.
- Seek Support from Trusted People
Healing doesn’t have to be an isolated journey. Building a network of sympathizers can help you feel connected and supported through difficult times. Reach out to people who make you feel safe—whether they’re friends, family members, or a group of sympathizers. Consider working with a therapist who specializes in trauma healing who can provide a loving, structured environment to help you process and heal.
- Be Kind and Patient with Yourself
Healing isn’t linear, and some days may feel harder than others. It’s important to approach yourself with gentleness, allowing room for growth and decline.
Practice self-compassion by acknowledging your efforts, no matter how small. Celebrate every victory, even if it’s just getting out of bed or taking a deep breath.
Conclusion
The journey of self-care after trauma is very individual, and there is no “right” way to heal. As you move forward, remember that healing is an ongoing process. Take small steps, celebrate progress, and prioritize self-care as you rebuild a life of comfort, resilience, and empowerment. If you feel overwhelmed, consider seeking professional support—trauma can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through it alone.
Recommended Places for Self-Care or Self-Healing
For those of you who may have feelings like the ones we’ve described, it might not hurt to try to release your trauma by healing yourself through self-love, self-care, or if necessary, trauma healing. Where can you do it? Pasraman Bali Eling Spirit is one place that can help you recover or transform yourself to be better than before.
With Aji Baghawan at Pasraman Bali Eling Spirit, you can help you release the trauma that has been scaring you. This trauma is very dangerous if not treated immediately, in addition to being able to do medical action, we can help you to do self-care that can be done routinely every day to be able to fight the pain and pain that you have been facing.
There are many types of healing retreat methods in Bali, you can treat and heal yourself by doing yoga, meditation or even purification. Please contact Pasraman Bali Eling Spirit to get the most complete information possible.
