Trauma Wounds can Trigger Bad Days

Listen sister, it happens! It happens a lot when you’re dealing with the effects of trauma and abuse! Bad days are inevitable but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer.

Trauma Wounds can Trigger Bad Days

Bad days…they suck!

Bad days can make you feel like staying in your PJ’s and pulling the covers over your head… ALL DAY!

Bad days remind us of our perceived lack of progress in our healing journey!

Bad days leave us thinking, “what is the use!” and a whole lot of other negative thoughts.

Bad days are inevitable, especially when you are still dealing, or I should say HEALING, from trauma. The insecurities, the panic attacks, the suspicion, the depression, the FATIGUE, UGH. It is so frustrating and I am right there with ya! There is comfort in numbers and so let me just start by saying, you are not alone in this healing journey full of good and bad days but secondly let me reassure you…there is hope.

Hope for a happier day.

Hope for a better life.

Hope for your healing.

As we walk this journey to heal our souls, here are a few things that help when those bad days, a.k.a. trauma wounds flare up.

7 Easy Tips to Make Bad Days Better

• Get pretty!

YES, girl. Go ahead and get dressed, put on makeup and fix your hair even when you don’t FEEL like it. Do it anyway! When we do a little self-care, it WILL make you feel better, I promise. How we look matters, so put on some lipstick or gloss or whatever tickles your fancy and pucker up.

• Get some fresh air!

Go outside or if you are working from home, open up the windows. Let the fresh air cleanse your house of stale toxins and stale vibes. If you can, go for a walk or a run. If that isn’t an option then just get outside and walk barefoot on the grass. Grounding or earthing will help balance your negative energy. You can check Suzannah of Calmpreneur who wrote a great piece on the benefits of walking outside.

• Get inspired!

Look up videos on YouTube that will motivate and inspire you. Sometimes we just need a reminder that things will work out, or maybe we might need a good kick in the pants that says, “Hey, Buttercup! You’re okay! Quit moaning and pick yourself up and just do what needs to be done.” At least that’s what I need to hear at times. Watching or listening to how others made it through a tough time gives us the motivation and inspiration to keep going.

• Get advice!

Call a friend or a family member whom you can trust. Companionship is vital to healthy mind and body. When you confide in someone close to you, it releases stress and interestingly enough the hormone oxytocin. You know the LOVE hormone! Needless to say, talking with someone you love can help alleviate stress and give you a sense of feeling loved. Side note: even when you don’t FEEL loved, you are! We cannot always trust our feelings when we haven’t completely healed from our past.

• Get a pet!

For some of us, having a pet can actually bring on more stress but for those animal lovers out there evidence shows that petting or owning a dog or cat helps to decrease cortisol levels (stress hormone) and raise mood levels. That’s really great news for pet lovers, but for those of us who struggle with OCD it can do the opposite. Whatever your preference, this is an option for helping out with those bad days.

• Get a bath!

This may seem a little simplistic but there is a method to this madness. Now, I know you may be thinking how can I take time for a luxurious bath when I have other things that are way more pressing. Well, let me tell you how!

First of all, your mental and emotional health takes priority over everything. EVERYTHING. Sorry, not sorry. As mommas and caregivers, we tend to think that we are last in a long line of “duties” that we are responsible for. But can I just say, how can you take care of anything if you are not taking care of yourself first. I am not talking about being selfish. I am talking about making sure that you are at your best SO THAT you can pour into and love on others. This may seem counterintuitive but, trust me, IT. IS. NOT! Take time to just sit in a bath and when you throw in a cup of epsom salt, BAM you got yourself another stress reliever. Magnesium in epsom salts is a natural calming mineral that absorbs through the skin and relaxes your mind and body.

• Get quiet!

Stillness is unfortunately overlooked and in today’s world SEEMS absurd. Scripture is full of encouragement to “be still, get quiet, wait in silence,” etc. But you know what typically happens when we get stressed or have a bad day, we reach for our phones, or the remote, or alcohol, or whatever coping mechanism distracts us enough to “numb out.” Notice I said, “WE.” I am learning that I will not change or grow or heal until I learn to be quiet and listen. Listen to my hurt, to my inner child, and to my God. It is in those quiet moments that we can get real with ourselves and when we are being honest and vulnerable, THEN the healing begins. Whether this is a guided meditation, reading Scripture, or sitting in your backyard listening to creation, just get quiet.

Bad days come and go

Remember bad days come and go. Tomorrow you may feel different. Tomorrow something good may happen. Don’t let the feelings of today dictate your joy for today. You have tools to help you shake off the bad day. Use these 7 easy tips to take care of you and see how you feel tomorrow. In the words of Annie, “The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be sun.”