Recovery from childhood trauma is a path we choose to take. It is a path leading to freedom from low self-regard, anxiety, and depression. But it is not an easy path to tread. Which one of us enjoys looking at the misbeliefs we hold about ourselves and others? Looking at them is painful.
What’s the alternative to recovery? It is a life with pain and no way to release it. It is a path where you stay stuck with the misbeliefs you hold and have no way to stop the damage they cause to you and those around you. It is not a path I choose.
Maybe you are reading this and thinking, “So, how do I choose recovery?” It begins with the determination to do whatever it takes to recover from the trauma that harmed you. Write down that you are on the recovery path. There is something about writing it down that cements it in your mind and heart.
Three daily practices that keep you in recovery
How can we stay on the recovery path? There are things we can practice daily that help us stay in recovery. They are things that are proven to help us heal. Here are three practices you can incorporate into your daily life:
1. Journaling. Keeping a journal has been a lifeline for me. It helps me understand and process my emotions. I spent a lifetime numbing my emotions. Checking in every morning with myself and writing down how I feel helps me stay unfrozen. A study conducted in the 80s found that writing about a traumatic experience and the emotions associated with it resulted in fewer health visits.
You only need to take a few minutes a day to journal. It does not have to be a lengthy process.
“A regular journaling practice can be helpful and grounding, and It doesn't have to take long: Even just a few minutes a day (or whenever you're feeling stressed) can be helpful,” advises Dr. Susan Biali Haas.
If you are new to journaling, begin by writing down how you feel every morning. Examine why you feel that way and write down any insights.
2. Tapping (emotional freedom technique). You can take a look at some of my previous articles to know that I am a big proponent of tapping, which combines acupressure with modern psychology. It consists of tapping on acupressure points while first admitting the issue you need to deal with it and then positive affirmations.
Studies show that tapping is an effective self-therapeutic method. In one study, participants of a four-day training workshop on tapping received physiological testing. What researchers found is a significant reduction in anxiety (40 percent), depression (35 percent), and post-traumatic stress disorder (32 percent).
The Tapping Solution app is a great way to learn how to tap and practice tapping. You might also want to check out books by Nick Ortner, the creator of the app:
Write down what you are tapping about in your journal, and after you tap, write down how you feel. By doing that you keep a record of your progress. When you are discouraged, get out your journal and read about your progress.
3. Meditation. Staying calm, quiet, and still for around 10 minutes a day is a great way to help yourself recover from childhood trauma. A literature review of studies on meditation found that trauma-related symptoms are reduced by meditating.
I like to observe my breath. I count on the in-breath and think “out” on the out-breath. I do that for three cycles of 15 breaths. I begin each cycle with the Jesus Prayer: Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me. I find it helps calm my brain and spirit.
There are many meditation types. Check out the following apps to find a type that suits you:
Insight Timer, Centering Prayer, and Reflect. Once you find a meditation type that you like, practice it every day.
100-day creative project
On April 1, I began doing a 100-day creative project where I write a poem every morning after I wake up. It is something I learned about from the Isolation Journals. Without deciding on a theme, I left it wide open, I find that most of the poems I have written so far are about recovery issues. Without realizing it, I began a new practice that not only helps me as a writer and creative but helps my recovery.
I invite you to join me. You do not have to write a poem a day like me unless you want to do so. Find something creative you can do every day and do it for 100 days. Write down what you did in your journal. Note how you felt before and after.
Leave a comment and let me know if you will start a 100-day creative project.
Image by Jim Semonik from Pixabay
I have been meditating since 1969 twice a day once after breakfast and again before my evening meal I know I've shared with you about my pain from my childhood but I've found meditation keeps the demons away I also journal (before I got sick I made a living as a writer ) every day without fail. Now it's naptime (another very important part of my day
I'll check back when I wake up usually around 5:30
☮&♥,
Sal