Developing a growth mindset in the aftermath of trauma is important. Shifting from stagnation to forward thinking will keep you motivated to continue healing. One of the more tangible ways you do this is to print blank calendar pages and fill in the dates. You may want to print one month or a few at a time. Challenge, but never overwhelm yourself.
After you have the dates in place, start to fill in activities you want to do to connect more closely with your present self and continue moving further away from the past. Some examples might include:
Join a gym.
Take a 15-minute bike ride.
Meditate.
Identify 5 goals for the next month.
Start a new exercise routine.
Try yoga.
Write for 10 minutes.
As each day completes, cross it out. This will allow you to stay focused on the next. Crossing out the day is a very real way to begin to eliminate the past. As you move through the month, pause and take notice of all of the crossed-out squares. This is how much further you’ve moved away from trauma. You should feel empowered by this. You chose to create growth in your life, and you can actually see how this is manifesting.
A calendar is a great visual representation of what is to come and will help to shift your perspective towards the future. As you move through this step, if it feels useful, you can continue onward as long as you like. Sometimes it helps to stay organized and have a daily goal in mind to garner a much-need sense of accomplishment.
What you do with each calendar page once all the squares have an ‘x’ is also up to you. You might choose to rip up and toss these away in the trash so signify the ending of a chapter and the continuance of this healing journey. Or, you might keep each as a memento to reference how far you’ve come and to motivate yourself to keep going.
You’re journey is within your control and you should feel inspired by your determination to take action. The plans you make and how you carry them out is within your reach. Just make sure to keep reaching.