Trauma Support Community Check-in: Thursday-Friday, 4-5 February 2021

Hello all,

How is the day treating you so far?

Today I'd like to talk about basics. Sometimes in trauma recovery, we get tunnelvisioned on the more complex processes like dissociation and panic. We sometimes end up neglecting the basics of healthy living in general that give us the foundation of strength we need to keep fighting.

What are the basics? Also known as the physical dimension of self-care.

Eating healthy, drinking enough fluids, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, taking care of hygiene.

How does neglecting any of these for a week make you feel? Some of them, even a day of neglect can make the next day harder. I find that when I'm in a really big dip in mood, sometimes focusing on one of these basics (and literally ignoring all other responsibilities) is the first step out. I have found that neglecting these is setting up our other recovery goals for failure. I know that some days it's really really hard to brush my teeth or make sure I eat. So some days I make sure to praise myself for doing any one of these things, because they are SO important for our health and recoveries.

Another reason doing basics check ins is important, is sometimes we don't notice they're slipping. Like man I've been so moody lately... but yeah I've had 4 hours of sleep the last few nights and have only eaten junk food. Sometimes there is a very simple reason and a simple fix for things, when we take it one issue at a time. Doing these check ins are also important because they can warn about incoming spirals that you may have missed the signs for. If I'm neglecting any of these, I can be certain that a dip is coming. It warns me to check my stress levels and figure out what's going on. And focusing on fixing the basics can help jump start and bypass a potential spiral because focusing on basics with a one step at a time attitude can reduce overwhelm feelings.

It is ok to focus on basics for a day, a week, a month. It is ok to focus on you.

How do you feel about each of your basics this week?

How do you feel when you neglect any of these basics?

Is neglecting basics a warning sign for you?

What is one (small) thing you can do today to give your basics the focus they deserve?

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