The Importance of Self-Care After Trauma

When you hear “self-care,” you may envision a candlelit bath, a pedicure, and other Pinterest-y activities fit for a #SelfCareSunday. While these activities certainly are self-care, in reality, self-care extends far beyond bath bombs and a fresh coat of nail polish.

While self-care is necessary for everyone, it’s essential for those who have experienced trauma. Today, we’ll discuss why self-care is crucial for trauma recovery and the first steps you can take to start honoring and caring for yourself today.

First of all, what exactly does self-care entail?

Self-care refers to any intentional act you do to support your emotional, physical, or spiritual well-being. While simple examples might include brushing your teeth, eating a healthy snack, applying lotion, or making time to read a good book, self-care can also include more intensive, long-term actions like setting boundaries, participating in therapy, ending self-harm behaviors, telling someone how you feel, asking for help, or finding a better job.  

While you might think self-care is self-involved, we can assure you it’s not. On the contrary, self-care is restorative, self-respecting, and necessary to maintain a healthy, balanced life. It’s a vital part of life; without it, we risk burnout, emotional issues, health problems, and much more.

Why is self-care important for trauma survivors?

As with anything trauma-related, the reasons why self-care can be difficult for those who have experienced trauma are vast and layered—generally speaking. However, trauma survivors often have anxiety, poor self-esteem, worthlessness, being overwhelmed, and distrust. With that troublesome combination of feelings swirling around, self-care can feel like the last thing on one’s mind. Traumatized individuals focus on survival and getting from one moment to the next. For one reason or another, many trauma survivors don’t feel like they deserve to be taken care of or have nice things done for them.

If you’ve experienced trauma, you can probably relate to self-care being low on your list of priorities. However, it’s the most important thing when it comes to soothing your nervous system, re-establishing balance, and healing the parts of yourself that have been hurt. With every loving and self-protective act, you show that you deserve to feel well, nourished, and secure. You show up for yourself time and time again. Ultimately, you reclaim your worth and your life.

How to start with self-care 

The beauty of self-care is that there’s no wrong place to start and no incorrect way to do it. Even small steps are reasonable and will significantly shift your well-being. Self-care doesn’t have to take much time, either. Instead, you can learn to incorporate self-care into activities you already do. For instance, choose a healthier option when you make yourself a meal. Or, if you start feeling overwhelmed, you can soothe yourself by practicing a few rounds of 4-7-8 breathing (i.e., breathing in through your nose for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, and breathing out forcibly through your mouth for eight seconds).

Other good places to start might include:

 ·      Scheduling an appointment with a therapist.

·      Going to the doctor for a check-up.

·      If you can afford it, hire a nanny or housekeeper to help out every so often.

·      Talking to a trusted friend or family member about your feelings.

·      Free writing in a journal.

Remember, self-care can include any act that benefits your well-being, big or small. You don’t need to jump in the deep end. You could start by showering more regularly, watching your favorite movie, drinking more water, or buying yourself a pair of cozy slippers. Whatever you’re feeling drawn to, go for it!

Practice self-care today 

Doing things for yourself is not the same as being selfish. All living beings need to care for themselves, and you are no different. So, how will you take care of yourself today? Pick one thing and make a goal to do it today. You deserve it—you do.

References:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324417#uses