Healing the Wounds of Sexual Abuse
How do you begin to heal the wounds from [...]
Actions to Embrace the Seasons of Life
Earlier this month our Guest Thriver, Yasmine Young, wrote [...]
How to Embrace the Seasons of Life
How do we embrace the seasons of life in [...]
Snow’s Invitation to Soften Yourself
During the chill of February, there is an invitation [...]
Embracing the Four Seasons As A Guide For Personal Reflection
As we enter the new year, let’s embrace the [...]
When the Holiday Season Is Difficult: Secrets and Seasons of the Journey
Holiday Seasons can be difficult. When you hear, “Secrets [...]
Ways to Practice Gratitude
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Releasing – Part of Healing Our Woundedness
“We are all wounded in some way. What we [...]
Keeping Grounded During Unstable Times
The first rule of when you get yourself lost during hiking is to stop walking. The next is to take a deep breath so you can slow your mind down from racing. Only then can you begin to formulate an action plan. Finding yourself suddenly in an unstable time is very similar. You might have thought you were doing everything right, for it all to go horribly awry in a matter of moments.
Panic robs us of our abilities to think critically and objectively. It forces us into such heightened states of anxiety that we not only fear, but believe, the worst possible situation could occur. This phenomenon known as catastrophizing amplifies the normal triggers and limited beliefs, we bravely tackle every day. This is particularly true for those of us who have suffered traumatic events in our lives like sexual abuse.
As the world is currently facing panic due to the grips of Covid-19 we all benefit from strengthening our abilities to ground ourselves during precarious times. Please explore one or more of the following exercises to help you rediscover your sense of stability and reclaim your power to enjoy life as a thriver.
Surviving Shame
You might not be aware, but April is Sexual Abuse Awareness Month. To honor all survivors, we want to take a step back to help you look at your journey out of the dark and into wholeness. Here at Survivors to Thrivers, we seek to bring awareness and shine a light onto the shame, silence, and darkness of sexual abuse.
Shame is often one of the hallmarks of facing sexual abuse. A dark feeling of doubt centered around the nagging thought “if only, then…” If only we hadn’t entered that room. If only we hadn’t listened to that manipulation. If only we spoke up. If only we were stronger. The list goes on and drags us deeper into a shame spiral.
Begin by understanding what your limiting beliefs are trying to teach you. Even the harshest critic has insight embedded in the noise. It’s up to you to find the time to create a pause in your life to better hear and understand the engrained script in your head. In the pause, nonjudgmentally observe the themes and narratives, realizing you have the ability to rewrite your narrative if you are kind and patient with yourself. It is unfair to your spirit to blame yourself for being in a particular location or the actions of another person. Instead, focus on the aspects that directly were and are within your control.
