Heal Today, Be Better Tomorrow

No matter what we go through in life, we need to make sure that we take the adequate time to heal.  It may be a recent disappointment, a failed relationship, childhood trauma or even an illness.  If we do not take the time we need to heal today the baggage that comes with these unhealed areas in our lives will overflow into the healthy areas.  

This week I make two months recovery from a major surgery.  The surgery was in the late summer and took a huge toll on my body.  Not only did my body have to be reintroduced to food after a 12+ hour surgery, but it needed to be reintroduced to walking and its everyday bodily functions.  TMI I KNOW!  But it was a process.  While I was in the hospital I was bombarded with nurses, medical assistants, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists and physicians who threw information at me all in the hopes of preparing me for the long stint of recovery that was to come.  It was overwhelming to say the least.  

I thought that being released from the hospital earlier than expected was a major accomplishment.  Don't get me wrong, it was! But the real work began when I came home. I had to practice walking on my own and getting dressed on my own to preserve my autonomy but I also had to allow others to help me because I had restrictions! Although the journey I speak of was one of physical healing that I needed to allow my body to do internally, other forms of healing are necessary for you that you need to allow your mind and your spirit to do. 

When speaking of emotional hurt and childhood trauma, even failed relationships and disappointment there is a healing that needs to take place.  The same way I needed to relearn how to eat, walk, and use the bathroom in the hospital, we need to learn how to live outside of survival mode when we survive these forms of emotional hurt.  We need to practice renewing our mind and spirit so that we can relearn how to do life.  My occupational therapist came into my hospital room every morning to reteach me how to do simple things to take care of myself like get dressed and brush my teeth.  These were all things I did prior to my surgery, but post surgery it was going to look completely different.  My occupational therapist came prepared with gadgets and gizmos designed to help me to get these essential functions done.  In the same way, life post emotional hurt is going to look different and you need to equip yourself with the things that will help you live! 

1) Affirmations

Give yourself daily reminders that you are no longer living in survival mode.  You can breathe and relax knowing that you are no longer in the place of emotional hurt.  

2) Journal

Provide yourself with an outlet to express your emotions and to communicate whatever you have on the inside of you be it thoughts, plans, feelings, etc. You have to allow yourself to feel what you're feeling so that you can get through it, if you're not much of a "journaling type" write letters to yourself.  

3) Selfcare

Invest time in taking care of yourself.  Self care looks different for different people.  Some like to read, some like to listen to music.  Others may exercise or do a spa day.  If you need some spa day ideas I got you on my Wix Site.  Whatever self care may look like for you, do it. If it is cleaning then clean, if it is dancing then dance.  Just please don't break the bank shopping yourself into "retail therapy." 

4) Sleep

Our body does its best healing as we sleep.  I slept so much in these last 2 months and that helped my body do its physical healing thang! In the same way, our minds need rest as well.  Unplug from your technology before bed, meditate and pray, read your bible, or whatever it is you need to do to relax your brain before bedtime.  If your mind can rest then your body can rest during your sleep cycle and you can wake up fresh for the day ahead.

Healing is a necessary part of life.  It can be difficult, but if you don't put in the work today you rob yourself of a better tomorrow.