Let’s take a second to talk about the massive pressure we put on ourselves during the holiday season! Our desire for others to be happy comes from a beautiful place of compassion and love. It can also be tangled up with obligation, guilt, perfectionism, and fear. . The ONLY thing you can control is yourself. You cannot control others’ happiness. When the pressure is on to “fix” their happiness just pause, take a deep breath, and remind yourself that you can only control your own actions; that their unhappiness is not about you. You are not a failure. Give yourself a hug. It’s going to be okay! #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #ptsdawareness #ptsdrecovery #selflove #selflovequotes #anxietyrelief #loveyourself #bodypositive #bodypositivity #magic #youreworthit #selfcare #boringselfcare #ptsdsurvivor #traumarecovery #trauma

I had this conversation yesterday and it got me thinking. Sometimes feeling better is the last stop on the healing journey, but it’s what we want the most. Along the way you learn self acceptance, self love, how to set boundaries, how to tolerate your emotions, how to behave differently than before... many of these things come before feeling better. But when you’ve learned all these new things, feeling better will get easier and easier. The hard work of healing and recovery is worth it! #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #ptsdawareness #ptsdrecovery #selflove #selflovequotes #anxietyrelief #loveyourself #bodypositive #bodypositivity #magic #youreworthit #selfcare #boringselfcare #ptsdsurvivor #traumarecovery #trauma

‘Tis the season to feel obligated. Many of us find ourselves obligated to spend time with people who have hurt us. A lot of it is unresolved. If you are in recovery or attempting to heal from trauma, it’s going to be very difficult to be around those who wounded you. It’s tough for a wound to heal if it’s constantly being poked and prodded. . You are NOT obligated to spend time with people who have harmed you. This is easier said than done, but you have every right to decide this. It is your healing journey, and you are in control. . It can be tough when it’s a family member. The dynamics are so complicated, we often feel we must show up and put on a good face. And if you’re under 18, this is even more complicated because you may not feel you have any choice in the matter. Remember who loves you, and take note of who you can confide in. Write down your safe people, and keep it in your pocket. You don’t have to do this alone. . #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #ptsdawareness #ptsdrecovery #selflove #selflovequotes #anxietyrelief #loveyourself #bodypositive #bodypositivity #magic #youreworthit #selfcare #boringselfcare #ptsdsurvivor #traumarecovery #trauma

I don’t know about you, but I often feel helpless when hearing about the issues in our world. If you feel like this too, start with yourself. “Hurt people hurt people” - it’s true. We have a unique opportunity to heal ourselves not only for our own wellbeing, but to break cycles that harm others. Healing ourselves has the power to end cycles of abuse, self sabotage, apathy, pain, negative self image, etc. Addressing your own suffering IS addressing suffering for the world overall. . #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #ptsdawareness #ptsdrecovery #selflove #selflovequotes #anxietyrelief #loveyourself #bodypositive #bodypositivity #magic #youreworthit #selfcare #boringselfcare #ptsdsurvivor #traumarecovery #trauma

Why do we use the idea that “our body is a temple” to weaponize damaging messages against one another? It often gets thrown as a means to body shame others and judge what we deem “healthy” or “unhealthy”. . If our bodies are our temples, then why shouldn’t I honor the fact that cookies make me feel warm and cozy. That I can like vegetables AND tacos AND pizza. That it all not only has nutritional value, but the ability to give us experiences of joy, comfort, connection, and wonder. . Your temple includes your heart and your brain. Caring for your mental health is just as important! . #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #ptsdawareness #ptsdrecovery #selflove #selflovequotes #anxietyrelief #loveyourself #bodypositive #bodypositivity #magic #youreworthit #selfcare #boringselfcare #ptsdsurvivor #traumarecovery #trauma

Exhale. Nap. Relax. It’s okay.

Our bodies store trauma for us to protect us from it happening again. It alerts us to danger that reminds us of what we went through. When we find safety, our bodies continue to alert us that there is danger when that is not the case anymore. We can express gratitude to our bodies for this while gently informing it that we are safe and it did it’s job. The work of therapy is to give the body a rest, process the trauma, and move forward.

#healthyboundaries . . . . #selfcare #selflove #therapy #counseling #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthquotes #boundaries #setboundaries #loveyourself #abusesurvivor #abuseawareness #healthylifestyle #trauma #traumarecovery #ptsdawareness

Sometimes with therapy, we only focus on how to fix our present behaviors - snapping at coworkers, isolating yourself from others, drinking more than you want to... We often focus on how to stop those behaviors, and that is a good thing. . But these behaviors are symptoms of something deeper. These symptoms are the weeds growing from roots that have existed for much longer. When we only focus on present behaviors, we improve our lives but we don’t stop the problem from coming back. The weeks grow back over, and over, and over. . You can spend your days cutting the weeds, or you can spend the energy to pull the weeds from their roots. We can till the soil, give it nutrients, and make it an environment where less weeds grow.

We can keep coping with our symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, etc. We can address the symptoms as they come, and struggle to feel better. Or we can get to the root of them, pull them out for good.