Exposure to trauma is an unpleasant experience that leaves people affected for the rest of their lives. Most people recover gradually, but complete recovery is not always the case

Surviving

Exposure to a traumatic experience happens when you go through a highly stressful incident or series of incidents. A myriad of emotions happen like feelings of helplessness, horror, or fear of death or injury. Following are some ways to handle these effects:

Listen To Body and Mind

Listen to your body carefully. Body and mind will tell you what you should do in order to heal. Taking care of your body is important for recovery:

Eat healthy food.

Get rest when you need and don’t exhaust yourself.

Do pleasant activities that make you feel good.

Establish a healthy sleep schedule where you get 7-9 hours of night sleep with regular sleeping and waking times and with comfortable setting.

Read and pursue your hobbies.

Do activities with family members or friends.

Go for a walk in nature, on the sea or in a nice place.

Go to theatre or watch a match.

Whatever makes you feel happy take time to utilize it.

Establish a Routine

Traumatic events disrupt normal life. A priority after the trauma should be restoring the usual routine and resuming the day-to-day activities as soon as possible. If restoring the previous routine is not possible then establishing a new regular routine will do. Establishing routine can bring back the sense of normalcy and control over life

Avoid Alcohol and drugs

People resort to many coping mechanisms to go through the stress of a traumatic event. Some of these coping mechanisms are negative. You may take a drink to help you dose off or quieten your anxiety and thus spark off a habit. It can appear to help in the short-term but it is harmful in the long run. It is obvious that if the stress continues drinking may continue and the result is alcohol use disorder and dependence problems

Physical Activity

Exercise is advocated by experts as one of the best strategies to deal with the effects resulting from trauma exposure. Walking, running, sports, gentle stretching  and visiting the gym are some options. Light, moderate or heavy exercise all can help and you can choose what suits you. But don’t force things, make it your own pace and when you feel tired take rest.

Fix small problems

In order to be able to focus on the big battles in your life you have to resolve the small ones before they stack over and pile up. If the task is large, divide it into small ones, prioritize them and solve them one by one. Don’t let your small conflicts to build up with time and add more to your stress

Mindfulness

Meditation is one of the best tools that help recover from trauma effects. A simple mindful exercise like deep breathing and focusing on your exhale-inhale can help relax your body and mind. Bring all your attention to the present moment and focus on breathing or parts of your body while you meditate. That can stop your brain from wandering away from the moment. Yoga and tai chi are also great tools to find your peace

Beware of Self-Isolation

After trauma people tend to isolate themselves. Don’t do that. Reach out to your family members and to your friends. Gather the support of your social network. If you know someone who have had similar experience talk to him. They may have similar feelings. An important part of recovery is to open the communications lines with others

Confront

Trying to ignore or forget the painful memories of the trauma is not usually successful so it is important for recovery to learn how to go on with these memories and how to deal with things that trigger them. Avoidance of reminders is a common behavior in traumatized people but it is not helpful. You need to face these feelings and take care of them in a way that helps you to go on in your life.

Look Back

Step back and look at your life. Point out what is important and start working on it. This eases the stress of a traumatic event. The bonds with the family and friends should be strengthened. Personal goals should be reassessed and plan put down to achieve them. You can do some volunteering work and provide help to others. All of these are useful for overcoming the trauma and recovery from its effects

Join Celebrations

Feel the joy,  join family and friends celebrating successes and occasions and delve in the warmth of the moment. It is Ok even after a traumatic event. This is a part of recovery

Professional Help

Symptoms resulting from a traumatic exposure like grief, sadness, anxiety, insomnia and other symptoms can hit hard. They can disrupt regular life and impair social functioning. If you find that your symptoms are severe and impairing your life in the first month or later visit a mental health professional and seek help

Support Groups

If there is a local support group in your area or your doctor referred you to one, join it. Talking about your experiences with other people who got similar experiences can benefit you. It will lift you up, will let you know how others deal with what’s happening and reduce feelings of isolation.

Music

Celebrate and join cultural events like sports, cultural occasions, and arts. Enjoy music. Being mindful while listening to music augments the effect and can help too