Tip 3: There Is No Such Thing As Normal
Everyone has times of intense difficulties. These difficulties can be illness, divorce, job loss, miscarriage, ego-shattering failure, heartbreak, assault, physical trauma, betrayal, economic hardship and then some...
Perhaps you recognize yourself a few times in these categories. And that's okay. Even normal. You've been swideswiped.Maybe even frontswiped.
Yes, life comes with a vast array of surprises.
Their aftereffects are equally varied.
Emotional: depression, anxiety, fear, stress, anger, guilt, grief, shame, shaken self-esteem, feeling lost, overwhelmed
Cognitive: poor concentration, shortened attention span, memory problems, difficulties making decisions, recurring thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks
Physical: muscle tremors, chest pain, difficulty breathing, headaches, high blood pressure
Behavioral: withdrawal, increased alcohol consumption, sleep disturbances, changes in eating, disruption of work habits, lack of sexual interest
Recognize: All of these aftereffects are normal reactions.
Recognize: Just as physical wounds heal at different rates in different people, so do emotional wounds. Everyone has different needs and speeds.
Bounce Back Assignment: Don't put added pressure on yourself to hurry back to normal. There is no such thing as normal. What's important is that you're nurturing your wounds appropriately. Instead of nudging them to heal so rapidly that you bruise yourself further in the process.
Published 12/24/2009
