How Hobbies and Learning New Skills Can Help Trauma Victims
A traumatizing event does not need to include bodily harm. Any event can traumatize you. Witnessing parents’ divorce is traumatizing for kids. Seeing someone being held at gunpoint is traumatizing. Experiencing a natural calamity is traumatizing as well. Trauma often leaves people upset with emotions and memories. They find it hard to trust other people, and they feel socially disconnected from the rest of the world.
This is where hobbies and interests such as custom jewelry making in Salt Lake City can help. Finding a new skill or learning a new hobby can be the much-needed therapy you seek. Although there is no promise that these hobbies can speed up your recovery, these are the kinds of support you need to move on with your life.
Discover New Things
Make an effort to discover new things. This is the best time to get to know what you want. While you’re struggling to make sense of the traumatic incidents in your life, you can begin getting to know yourself better—what interests you and what you want to do in your free time. Enroll in a karate class or learn how to make handmade jewelry. There are plenty of new things you can learn. And who knows? You might be so good you can sell the handmade stuff you make.
Move
It’s tempting to just stay in bed all day, isn’t it? When your mind is too tired from wondering and your body is physically exhausted from “feeling,” it’s nice to just lie down and not think about anything at all. But moving will help you de-stress. A 30-minute brisk walk in the park will pump adrenaline into your body. That’s an instant mood booster.
Don’t Isolate Yourself
There is a temptation to withdraw from your social life and personal relationships after a traumatic incident. You’re scared to trust again. You don’t want people asking you things. You feel guilty. You’re comforted by the fact that you’re alone.
But these are the times when you need to reach out to your family and friends. They worry about you. Make an effort to maintain relationships because they will keep you going. Nurture social events such as birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings. They will make you appreciate life and your family more.
Practice Meditation
Do you know that simply breathing in and out deeply for one minute can alter the anxiety you feel? There are a lot of ways to relieve anxiety and stress. If you feel distressed because a sight or a smell triggered your trauma, sit down and take deep breaths. Practice meditation. There are a lot of yoga classes that will teach you how to be in control of your mind and body.
Take Care of Your Health
Get plenty of sleep and eat a balanced diet. Strive for these two things in your life. Although these are essential to everyone, those who suffered through a trauma must work hard to practice them. Eating a balanced diet will keep your energy up and control your mood swings. Eat happy food such as salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds. These are mood boosters. Finally, don’t succumb to the temptations of alcohol and illegal substances. Nothing good will come out of it.
Recovering from a traumatic experience takes time. For many, it takes years and years of therapy sessions and constant discipline and practice. People have their own pace and coping mechanisms. There is no need to rush. The guidelines here intend to help you in your day-to-day dealings.