It can be particularly beneficial when you’re identifying goals for trauma healing to create a visual that depicts both your self-care strategies and social supports. Practicing self-care is essential so you don’t fall back into the same toxic patterns once you’re able to release them once and for all. Your self-care plan should include all of those things you enjoy doing which provide healthy stress relief and help you stay centered.
For example, you might list your hobbies or something you like to do to relax and unwind. Maybe you really enjoy reading or writing, vegging out and watching movies, playing board games, jogging. Your plan should include all of those things you can turn to should you start to feel overwhelmed by the goal setting process. Make sure you take breaks every now and again – and especially when stress starts to creep in – to do those things even if they have nothing to do with being productive or achieving personal milestones.
You might take a piece of paper, draw yourself at the center and surround yourself with all of the actions you’ll take to maintain balance and not get burnt out from the change process. The next time you feel brain fog start to creep in, reference your drawing and decide which self-care strategy would provide relief in that moment.
Once you’ve identified a self-care plan, you should also create a go-to resource for social support. Who can you turn to when you need to vent? Who is always there to pull you out of a funk? Do you have family members and other loved ones, friends, work colleagues, or acquaintances you commonly turn to? Do you attend counseling or participate in support groups?
Again, your visual may have you at the center and all of your social support surrounding you. This can be used as a handy reference whenever you need to remind yourself that others are there to hear you out. You just need to initiate contact. Trauma can make you feel very alone even if you’re in the middle of a room full of people. Thus, in the post-traumatic state, it is important to remind yourself you’re not alone in this – you never were. Connect with those individuals who bring out the best in you, so you don’t get stuck in the same negative patterns of the past.
These are just a couple of creative interventions for helping you realize your post-trauma goals, rebuild and finally live the life you deserve. Remember to take time for yourself – this is your journey, after all.