Healthy Self Do It Yourself
Let’s talk about restoring ourselves and creating our own optimal health. While it may seem daunting to begin work toward healing during the divorce process, it is important if you want to move into a faster recovery while living through this life-altering event. There is documented research showing that most of us can actively participate in our own healing process, as long as we develop certain behaviors and practices and incorporate them into our routines.
The healing power of physical exercise and the many benefits it brings cannot be overstated. Physical movement restores not only our body, but our mental and emotional faculties as well. This is one of the essential pillars of the healing process. The incredible benefits of simply moving your body are too many to name in this brief article, but I feel it is important to note that physical activities do not need to be difficult or aggressive. There are multiple healthy practices at your disposal that are low-impact and gentle, and many can be done in the comfort of your own home. At the top of the list for health advocates everywhere is the simple practice of taking a walk or hike outside daily. This practice offers countless benefits. As do biking, running, lifting weights, Pilates, and yoga, tai chi, qigong or the newly introduced chair exercises. If we’re moving in a way that does no harm to our body, then it’s beneficial.
Another pillar of health and wellbeing centers on slowing down and becoming aware of our body and its messages, along with our thoughts and feelings. Becoming mindful, allowing stillness, sinking into gratitude for all we have, and developing a meditation practice all create space and quiet in an over-stimulated and disconnected world. Becoming still and learning to shut out the flood of information and stimuli that rushes at us from every device becomes a very important part of our healing journey.
Self-care is another important pillar of wellness. Learning to pay attention to what it is that we need at any given time is a practice not taught to most of us who are reading this while we were growing up. Therefore, this new technique of learning to care for self often feels “selfish” or extremely self-absorbed. But, in the world of wellness it is constantly said that we must embrace this attitude and way of caring for self and lean into it fully, if we want to build a more stable, healed life.
Another of the pillars of healing involves learning to acknowledge and accept our feelings. This is difficult for many people, also, but if we wish to become secure and healthy, this cannot be avoided. Pushing our feelings down or out of sight does not make them go away. If not acknowledged, our emotions become stored in our body, causing multiple problems for us later on. One method for releasing deep, difficult emotions is by journaling. This method of writing allows for the unspoken feelings to surface and release in a way that feels safer and less threatening. Journaling can help in a most productive way, offering a solution when it feels too difficult to openly speak the words.
Developing our own process for healing with these tools in our tool kit, fortifies and strengthens us to work toward wellness. Use these resources, adding talk therapy and group support, if desired, to help bring about stability, wellbeing, and a restorative transformation.
Weekly Dose Divorce Support Group
Denise Palmer
