Take Charge of Your Well-Being
Mental Fitness Blog
The story you tell yourself shapes your trauma response:
There is a lot of power in our thoughts and the stories we tell ourselves. Our beliefs greatly shape our reality, and they affect our perception of events and our journeys after we experience trauma.
In September 2008, I returned to Canada after a combat deployment to Afghanistan. Shortly after I came home, my parents held a welcome party for me with my family members. Unexpectedly, I couldn’t help but feel anxious and agitated. Among the normal conversations with my family, I felt a growing sense of tension and dread building in me. These feelings continued to build until I had to excuse myself and get some space.
How to identify and reframe limiting beliefs:
Are your internal beliefs holding you back from overcoming your challenges and living your best life?
We all have internal beliefs that form part of our identity. Some beliefs can be very helpful, such as believing you are strong, resilient, and brave. If I believe I am resilient, I will be more inclined to perform the activities that support that identity. I will apply positive coping mechanisms because if I don’t, it will conflict with the identity I’ve created for myself.
How to silence the voices of your “demons”:
It takes incredible strength, discipline, and courage to wake up daily and confront your demons. These demons take many forms. They might be the mental illness you are dealing with, your grief, or your traumas.
Stop self-sabotaging your healing after trauma:
After you go through a traumatic experience, your ability to manage stress and pressure is often negatively affected. We all know this, but why do we still self-sabotage by putting extra pressure on ourselves afterward?
Imagine holding a cup, representing your total “capacity” for mental energy. Your day-to-day responsibilities are normally well managed, and your cup might only be 60% full on average. When you are functioning optimally, you have the extra space to manage the unexpected stressors that arise.
What palm trees can teach us about resilience:
Images of palm trees have always evoked positive memories of vacationing in warm, sunny destinations. There’s something about the mishappen trunks and shaggy crop of leaves on the top that just whispers “relax and take it easy” to me.
Have you ever wondered why palm trees are resistant to hurricanes compared to most other trees?
Reframing what it means to struggle:
When I was 20, I thought I knew what it meant to struggle.
I had survived a combat deployment to Afghanistan as a soldier in the Canadian Forces. I was newly married. I was a new police officer. I was also dealing with the effects of PTSD.
At the time, I knew hardship and adversity. I had witnessed the traumas of war, come close to dying numerous times, and still felt the pain and grief of loss. As I moved forward with my life, I worked hard to overcome my past traumas, integrating those experiences into my new identity as someone more than my past.
How to find meaning, even if you are struggling:
Research has shown that your ability to find a deeper meaning in your struggles can aid in recovery. However, if you are struggling with your mental health, it can be very challenging to find purpose and make sense of it. When you are in those dark places in your mind, it can feel impossible to find any positives. So, how can you identify meaning and find purpose to inspire you to keep moving forward when you might feel like all hope is lost?
When I was a caregiver for my late wife in the final stages of her battle with cancer, it was exceptionally difficult. We saw the end nearing and knew there was nothing else we could do to make a difference. I was in a state of despair – all hope was lost.