Exercise #1 - Before trauma hits, establish resilience. Feel your feelings!

We all bury our feelings when they become too much. But now, before trauma shows up directly in your life, is not the time to avoid your feelings. Now is the time to dig in and allow what's there to come out.

Start by finding a friend or loved one (use social distancing of course!), a journal, or a therapist (we're all online now) and share with them.

Take time to sit with yourself and feel. Name your feelings. See how your thoughts relate to these feelings. Feel your body and find where these feelings come from. Notice where comfort meets tension in your body. Stay present to all these sensations, thoughts and feelings and watch them shift and move.

None of them are wrong!

None of them are too scary or dangerous to feel, especially with help! Notice how the longer you stay with a feeling, the easier it gets. Stay with the feelings until your emotions quiet, your body rests and you notice yourself naturally feeling better. This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and a half. If things get too scary or difficult, that's when it's time to find a professional.

Now is the time to feel. You'll need these connections to yourself and your support people to stay emotionally healthy as things get harder. Starting now will help you be more resilient to trauma in the future.

If you need help, we can be a resource for you. Mend Therapy is offering online Psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing for individuals and couples.