Trauma barrels into your life, wrecks the world as you know it, and then leaves you wondering how to put things back together. In this article, we shall discuss the ways to cope with trauma and grief.
In the wreckage of decimated opportunities, friends, careers, relationships, homes, wishes, and dreams, you stand awash in feelings of loss and sorrow. Naturally, these emotions lead to anxiety as you worry about the future and how to discover the best path for moving forward.
If you’ve experienced trauma, then you’ve also experienced grief, and probably anxiety. These often go hand in hand: for example, research suggests that approximately 40% of bereaved people will struggle with an anxiety disorder in the first year following the death of a loved one1, including a miscarriage or pregnancy loss. Sometimes, the “death” connected to trauma is one of your own self. In an instant, your ‘before self’ seems to have evaporated, leaving your ‘after self’ grieving who you used to be.
Trauma is defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, but traumatic events don’t all have to look like considerable life altering events such deaths or severe accidents. Traumatic circumstances and situations can vary from person to person, and many of us carry trauma from seemingly minor or normalized situations that may have had a negative impact on us.
We may carry trauma and grief from these experiences without even realizing it which can impact our emotional state, physical well-being, attitudes, behaviors, and relationship patterns. Addressing trauma at its root and utilizing nurturing practices and rituals that help us heal and calm our nervous system is imperative when it comes to healing and moving forward in a new way.
If you feel held back by your trauma or are looking for ways to shed feelings of grief, here are some impactful ways to heal and cope.
Connect With Those You Trust
It’s easy to feel alone in our experience when we go through something traumatic or are carrying a heavy emotional weight. While it may feel easier to isolate yourself, calling on trusted loved ones to support you through the experience is an important part of the healing process. Be sure to reach out to those you feel safe with to either talk to or be in their presence to feel loved and supported as you navigate your healing process.
Connection is an incredibly important part of being human and helps us nurture healthy emotional well-being. Continue to make connecting with loved ones a priority as much as you can while you heal.
Seek Professional Support
Unresolved trauma can impact every part of our lives, and there’s no reason to navigate the journey alone. Seeking professional support can be an invaluable way to find relief and learn to live in a new way. There are a wide variety of trauma therapies and other styles of therapy that can help you on your healing journey.
From EMDR to somatic therapy, there are plenty of options for you to explore and find what is right for you. Remember that you aren’t alone in navigating your trauma, and seeking professional support can help aid your process to feeling and functioning at your best.
Get Into Your Body
Trauma can often make being present in our bodies and the moment feel unsafe. Dissociation, or the mental process of disconnecting from one’s thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity, is a common trauma response. Once you have sought out support and understand your experience better, the journey back to the body can help soothe the nervous system and significantly improve your well-being.
Our lived experiences are stored in the tissues of our body, so the long holds and juicy postures in yin and restorative classes can make a great and meditative way to become present with yourself and your emotions. There are many trauma informed yoga instructors out there, so do some research in your area and find an instructor or class that feels good to you.
In summary, meditation is also a powerful tool to help you become present in your body once again. Find a guided meditation or teacher that you resonate with who can support you through the experience and bring you back to the present moment. Start with a few minutes a day, and slowly work your way up to a length that feels good to you when you are ready. Most people have experienced an event or life circumstances that impacted how they show up in the world. Addressing and understanding our trauma and grief is an important part of taking steps to feeling and showing up the best that we can. Take tender care of yourself and do your best to nurture relationships, practices, and support that makes you feel good. I hope you find this article helpful.
