If you struggle to get to sleep because of thoughts or ideas about the past you might have some trauma in your life. Trauma can also manifest in social isolation, substance use, and panic attacks. If you think you might have some trauma it’s important to acknowledge this and seek out ways to start your healing process. Start right now with some helpful ideas in the article.   

Acknowledge your trauma 

Many people who experience trauma don’t realize they have trauma and suffer as a result. The effects of trauma can include trouble sleeping, panic attacks, substance use, flashbacks, low self-esteem, and suicidal thoughts. It’s important that you don’t ignore signs of trauma. 

The first step to healing from trauma is acknowledging that trauma is what you have. This can come as a sudden insight to some people who thought it was related to something else, contact honest nursing home abuse attorneys, if you think you suffer from care home abuse trauma. 

Understand the need to heal 

Once you have acknowledged you have trauma it’s time to start the healing process. Everyone is different and will heal in a different way. Since there is no one-size-fits-all solution to trauma you might need to investigate the healing methods that you respond to best – there are many! 

Healing from trauma might be as simple as focusing on yourself for a time and practicing your mindfulness techniques, or it might require a series of in-depth talking therapy sessions. Spend some time looking after yourself and exploring possible methods to start healing your trauma. 

Embrace positive affirmations 

Everyone has an inner critic, it’s that little voice that tells us we’re not good enough and can never heal from the past trauma. Of course, this inner critic is not speaking the truth and must be silenced in some way. One way is to use positive affirmations to replace negative self-talk.  

Positive affirmations can be effective but sometimes it can seem like hard work to constantly work against negative thoughts that come back again and again. If you struggle with unwanted thoughts, try some chanting or humming which takes all your attention away from thoughts.  

Create an active lifestyle 

Exercising is an excellent way to heal trauma because it allows the brain to release endorphins (feel-good chemicals) that raise your mood and improve your concentration. The other reason it’s so good is that it keeps your body physically active and splits your attention. 

If you like physical activity it’s easy to choose something new or get back into an activity you once enjoyed, but if exercising isn’t your thing choosing an activity might be a little bit more challenging. Some activities that are excellent for healing trauma include martial arts and yoga.  

Explore your creativity 

Art therapy works on a simple premise when you express yourself creatively the negative stuff comes up. The artworks you create are manifestations of your past trauma and pouting them on the page in some form helps you to explore and process them in creative ways. 

Art therapy includes things like painting, drawing, writing, playing music, and making crafts. If you think you are unartistic and for that reason, art therapy won’t help, it’s worth giving it a try. Art therapy isn’t about creating outstanding works of art, it’s about gaining new perspectives.   

Explore the natural world 

Nature is a tremendous healer! That means inner nature as well as outer nature, and you will need the impact of both if you want to fully heal from PTSD and other types of trauma. Of course, mindfulness and meditation are two of the most effective trauma-healing solutions. 

External nature can also have a very positive impact on your healing. Nature is full of oxygen that is excellent for your brain and lungs. It is also very inspiring, walking in nature is a chance to let your mind wander and heal. Some people believe nature also has magical energy.  

Discover helpful therapies

Everyone is different and heals from trauma in their own unique ways. Some people benefit from therapies like psychotherapy while others are afraid to go near it. For some people, psychotherapy is unappealing because it means sharing aspects of their lives with others.    

However, therapies can be very effective for healing past traumas and shouldn’t be discounted. There’s no need to commit to a series of sessions right away, it’s fine to try one or two sessions to see if they work for you – also consider other therapies such as CBT and hypnotherapy. 

If you are reluctant to commit to therapy as you have many other responsibilities to juggle, you may want to consider mental health outpatient treatment. Seeking therapy as an outpatient will help you get the support you need without staying away from home. This means that you will gain all the benefits of treatment for depression, trauma, and abuse while being able to return home each day. For many people, outpatient therapy is an effective solution and helps them access treatment while maintaining their other responsibilities.

Everyone has the right to be healthy and well, and that includes in the workplace as much as anywhere else. However, not many people are actually in a position where they feel this is the case. Your workplace is one place that you will definitely need to look into if you want to improve healthcare. There are many things that you need to do yourself to ensure that you are healthy and safe at work. There are also many things that your employer needs to do. In this post, we are going to focus on the latter rather than the former. We will look at some health and wellness things that you should be able to expect from your employer.

Reasonable Working Hours

If your boss is overworking you, then your health might be affected. It’s a situation that needs remedying as soon as possible. Of course, there can be a lot of difficulties inherent in this situation. These include office politics and feelings of shame and so on. So it can be tricky. Nonetheless, it is essential that you are not being overworked. Your health depends on it.

The evidence is clear how overwork can result in poor health. You are more likely to develop heart problems, have strokes, and even get cancer. Your stress levels will cause cortisol to rise and act like a toxin in your body. Clearly, this is a situation that you need to avoid as much as possible.

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If you think you are being overworked, you should speak to your employer about it, citing the reasons why. Request to have your hours reduced. If you are given a hard time about it, consider taking it higher up the chain of command.

Positive Office Environment

Your working environment can have a profound effect on your health. If it is a toxic environment, then that is going to lead to some pretty high stress levels. You might feel as if the work is damaging you in some pretty essential ways. Speak to your employer if you are worried that the office environment is causing you health concerns.

There are many things that can be done to improve this particular issue. That might include everyone going on a training day to learn how to speak to each other better. Also, it may require systemic changes taking place at a root level to ensure that the culture itself improves over time. As long as these things take place, it is going to mean that the office environment improves. Your mental and even physical wellbeing will improve as a result of this too. It’s more important than people often give it credit for, but it is something that you need to think about a lot.

Good Healthcare Program

Every employer should offer a healthcare program that gives employees the ability to take their healthcare into their own hands. Having adequate coverage can make a huge difference in your health.

If you think that the wellness plan is not quite up to scratch, you might want to speak to your employer and try to get a wellness plan you can count on from Accuplan or a similar trusted provider. This is going to help not just you, but all of your colleagues too. A good healthcare program is often the difference between health and sickness.

Healthy Workplace

The workplace itself should never pose a threat to anyone’s health. This is a basic requirement of your employer. If it is not being met, you have every right to complain. There are a few essential things that need to be taken care of in any workplace to ensure that the place itself is not hurting anyone’s health or wellbeing.

This includes the place being kept clean, covid-friendly, and free of obstructions which might cause injuries and accidents. It also means that fire safety is implemented, including training and the occasional fire drill. There should also be risk assessments for anything and everything that might pose a potential health or danger hazard.

As you can see, there are a few things to demand from your employer. So don’t be afraid to do so and call them out if it is lacking.

You don’t have to travel far to seek out mental health support. In fact, you can seek out mental health support from the comfort of your own home by accessing resources online. 

Where can you find the right support online? Well, there is a lot of poor and false information out there. It’s important to get support from the right places. Below are just some of the best places to get mental health support.

Blogs and articles

There are lots of blogs and articles dedicated to mental health topics. This can be a great place to start if you need basic advice or are looking to tackle mild mental health problems yourself.

Try to look for experts and advocates dedicated to your specific problem. For example, you’ll find advocates out there such as Mike Smeth that specialize in addiction recovery – which could be ideal if you or someone else has addiction.

Try to use trusted websites when looking for factual advice on treatment options. Sites like WebMD, Mayo Clinic and Healthline are great examples. 

Mental health apps

There are apps out there that can help when overcoming various mental health illnesses. Such apps allow you to get support from your phone wherever you are.

Moodfit is one such mental health app recommended by the likes of VeryWellMind that offers exercises to help address negative emotions. Whether you’re trying to overcome depression, anxiety or general stress, such an app could be great at helping you to manage your emotions and feel better without having to talk to anyone. This app is also free.

Other apps worth trying include MoodMission, Calm and Talkspace. Some apps may be designed with specific mental health illnesses in mind, which could be worth looking into if you have a specific diagnosis. For example, there are apps such as ACT Coach for veterans with PTSD and there are apps such as Recovery Record for treating eating disorders.

Forums

Online forums are great places for connecting with people who may be going through the same mental health issues as you. Such forums can be great places for sharing problems and developing a sense of camaraderie, all in all making you feel less lonely in your recovery process.

You can find forums dedicated to different mental health issues. For example there are forums for addiction recovery such as The Sober Recovery Forum and forums for those with schizophrenia such as Schizophrenia.com.

Try to stick to trusted online support groups that are moderated by professionals. This way you know that you are always getting the healthiest support. Some online forums may also host physical meetups where you can meet people in person. You may even be able to build lifelong friends through these support groups. 

Helplines

Need to find the number of a specific mental health helpline? The internet can be a great tool for finding the phone number you need.

There are helplines and listening services dedicated to all kinds of mental health problems from suicidal thoughts to concerns about other people. Check out Open Counseling for a list of helplines. 

Web chat services

If you’re anxious about talking to someone over the phone, another option could be to use a web chat service. These work much like helplines. They give you the option to talk to a mental health counsellor for free and work through your problems.

My Black Dog is a popular web chat service that caters to all kinds of mental health problems. When you need someone to talk to and don’t want to use a phone call, this can be the next best option. 

Online counseling sessions

You can also book online therapy courses that are conducted entirely via the internet. These can be a flexible option for many people with busy lives as you don’t have to travel anywhere. 

Online counseling sessions may be conducted via video chat or via phone. A professional therapist will be able to help you understand your problems and then find a way of overcoming them. They’ll be able to help you set goals and then check in on you from week to week to ensure that you’re working to meet these goals. 

Such counseling sessions are typically paid, but can vary in price. It’s worth taking the time to shop around for options. Make sure that the person taking the therapy session is qualified.

You may not think you need a morning routine, but it’s important to create one. Just like you clean your teeth or take a shower each day, establishing a routine will help get the day off to the right start. If you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, try saying these four simple statements to yourself every single morning.

#1 “I am strong.”

The first thing you should say to yourself every single day is, “I am strong.” This is a simple reminder that if you can get out of bed in the morning and start your day with this affirmation, then there’s nothing else stopping you. Too often, you may feel as though other people have the power to stop you from doing what needs to be done. But it’s important not to give them that much control over your life. This affirmation will help push those negative thoughts out of your mind and allow you to move forward with a positive attitude.

#2 “I am enough.”

The second thing you should say to yourself every single day is, “I am enough.” This affirmation reminds us that we are all worth something. Many people who feel they aren’t enough tend to resort to things that do damage to their bodies and minds. If you feel like you need help breaking the habit, feel free to visit the American Addiction Centers. There’s no reason for self-doubt or lack of confidence simply because someone else doesn’t appreciate the way you look, act, or sound. Reminding yourself that you’re enough can help banish any feelings of inadequacy that may have crept into your subconscious while you were sleeping. 

This affirmation also helps us to accept the parts of ourselves that we may not like but are a part of our identities. If necessary, spend a few minutes visualizing what it would feel like if these statements were factual about yourself right now and every single day going forward. Pretty soon, you’ll find that you believe these statements, and they become self-fulfilling prophecies.

#3 “I can do anything.”

The third thing you should say to yourself every single day is, “I can do anything.” This affirmation reminds you that you are capable of creating the life you want. We don’t need someone else’s permission, blessing, or help in order to accomplish our goals and dreams. Many things stop us. Maybe we think it’s too difficult or out of our reach. This affirmation will remind you that nothing is impossible if only you believe in yourself enough.

In addition, this affirmation helps us to push ourselves beyond our perceived limitations. We often convince ourselves that there are certain things we can’t do. But this is never true. The only thing stopping you from achieving your goals may be yourself. These three simple words – I can do anything – can help change how you think about what’s possible for your future.

#4 “I’m grateful for my life.”

The last thing you should say to yourself before beginning your day is, “I’m grateful for my life.” This affirmation reminds us that we have so much to be thankful for. We often take the things around us for granted. These things can disappear in an instant if something were to happen. It’s important not only to enjoy what we do have but also to appreciate how fortunate we are even just waking up today. By saying this statement every morning when you wake up, you’ll realize all of the good aspects of your life. You’ll be able to focus on them rather than dwell on any negatives or perceived shortcomings.