Life is so strange after trauma. I’ve been on my healing journey for over a year now and although it shows, it doesn’t always feel like it. Healing has so many ups and downs. I know that I have crossed oceans, but the hard days are still hard. The worst part is that time feels different. Time passes in almost an agonizing slow way, yet looking back it is a blur. At times, the contradiction aids in my feeling anxious and unwell. I hate reading about how fast time goes with a baby or a toddler because time is so messed up for me. I am trying to enjoy every moment with my child, but healing from trauma during it makes it so complicated. It isn’t as simple as, “just enjoy every moment.” It’s trying to process, heal, survive and overcome PTSD while trying to be present enough to enjoy every moment of my child growing up.

I’ve been working through more emotions of despair lately. I still feel some anger when I think back on what happened and what it stole from me. I should have been able to enjoy my postpartum and my baby growing. I shouldn’t have had to deal with other people’s inability to handle their emotions and communicate properly. I shouldn’t have been emotionally abused. I understand that there is nothing I can do about it. It happened and I am left to recover from it. The anger and despair also show up in different ways such as dealing with normal life difficulties. Life is not smooth sailing most of the time. After trauma, the difficulties of life feel more intense and more difficult to manage for me. Sometimes, I get frustrated with my healing process and how long it is taking for me to return to a healthy, normal state.

I am not a therapist, I am not a healthcare worker, and I have no formal education in these areas. I am writing from my own experience and what I have learned throughout it. I am currently looking deeper into releasing stored trauma from the body. I have listened to podcasts, watched videos and have read articles about trauma as well as healing trauma. I am in therapy also. I am working to educate myself to heal myself. I want to write about what I am learning and trying in regards to releasing stored trauma because I think that it may be a missing key to healing fully. My hope is that by continuing to find ways to further my healing, I may be able to live more freely and fully.

Movement

I notice that movement is huge in regards to releasing stored trauma. For me, stretching and yoga are especially great practices to eliminate trauma in my body. It can be tough for me to make the time and to mentally get myself to do it, although once I do, it is so helpful. I need to keep incorporating yoga and stretching into my weekly routine. I have even looked up specific stretches to help release stored trauma in the body. Thank you to YouTube and Google.

For me, walking is really helpful to keep myself exercising. Walking is a simple way to stay healthy without it being too difficult to keep up with. In my case, experiencing trauma has made every day life more complicated and arduous. It is harder to put together the simple framework to get myself to lift weights, go for a run or another exercise that isn’t as easy as walking. That may be pathetic to admit, but it’s just the truth. I do extra exercises when I can and I do push myself. It is still just sometimes easier for me mentally to get an easy walk in.

Another movement technique that I think can be great for releasing trauma is dancing. I am not a good dancer, but it is fun to dance with my toddler! Letting your body move while listening to music can be a great way to release negativity and promote healing energy. Overall, I believe that any form of movement can be conducive to eliminating stored trauma and progressing healing. I think that it is important to find what works best for you while also trying new activities. Having a stable, reliable way to move is essential, but also trying new things can be really progressive in healing as well. Some other examples of movement that I haven’t mentioned can include biking, martial arts, fitness classes, hiking, or rowing.

Relaxation

Relaxing is vital after trauma, although it can be very tough to do. Finding and making time to relax helps keep you emotionally and mentally sound. In my experience, it can be hard to meditate and is hard work at times to be mindful. I think it is important to practice mindfulness, though. I am going to be working more towards practicing and learning about mindfulness as well as meditation. Yoga can be a great way to aid in practicing meditation. I love yoga because not only are you moving your body, you’re also calming your mind at the same time.

For me, it is helpful to use different tools to get myself into a state of relaxation. Some examples include burning a candle, using a face mask, taking a hot shower, drinking tea or eating chocolates. There are also many great books out there that can help walk you through meditation as well as can help relax you as you read them. It can be really hard to just sit down and clear your head, at least it is for me. Usually, my thoughts are racing and my anxious mind is hard to clear. That is why I am better able to relax when I do things to get myself into a more relaxing state. Whether that be making sure my space is clean, using a face mask, or another form of unwinding, these things can really help to slow your mind down.

Cleaning

In my experience, cleaning and decluttering has been an excellent way to release trauma. I can literally feel negative energy leave me when I get rid of anything that has a negative tie to it or is just not important to have in my space. I feel lighter when my space is clean and only consists of things that bring me joy. It is also so good for you in every aspect of your health to live in a clean space. Being in a clean, organized home can help bring mental clarity and emotional peace. I always feel better about my life after I have cleaned my spaces.

If you have any objects tied to memories of your trauma, see how it feels to get rid of them. Whether that be by donating, recycling or throwing them away, it depends what the objects are, it can be such a great release. In my experience, I have donated things that were linked to memories of trauma and I could literally feel the trauma leave my body. It felt like bricks being lifted off of my chest or dark energy being sucked out of me. I felt lighter and freer. Sometimes it can be tricky to get yourself to let go of things that are tied to your trauma. There are many different reasons why it may be tough to get rid of things, some of which could be that you may feel guilty about it, you may feel like you need the object or you may use the object. All I know is that I have never felt bad after getting rid of things that constantly reminded me of my trauma.

Other Methods

Methods that I haven’t personally tried, but have heard great things about include acupuncture, going to a chiropractor, reiki, massages, sound baths and EMDR. There are so many different methods that you can try to release stored trauma. A lot of them may depend on how easily attainable they are for you. It can be tough to find someone you feel as though you can trust or is affordable to perform certain healing practices. Some methods, such as acupuncture, may seem uncomfortable or make you nervous. Some of these practices may also depend on your beliefs. Some people do not believe in certain practices or do not feel aligned to them. It is important to trust yourself and to try what feels best for you.

Conclusion

There is so much to learn about trauma and healing from trauma. There are also so many different methods that you can try to release stored trauma from your body. It can be really overwhelming when you’re just starting out. A little over six months ago, I was first introduced to the concept of trauma being stored in your body. Since then, I have been incorporating into my routine different ways to release trauma. I have been trying to lean into different methods and trying to feel the physical release of trauma. For me, physically feeling trauma leave my body feels like weights being lifted off of me. I feel lighter and freer. Little by little, I am hoping that one day I feel completely like myself again. I will do anything to get there.

I believe that trauma can be healed. I believe that trauma is tricky and from my experience, is one of the hardest battles to overcome. It can be incredibly disheartening that trauma recovery is not linear. Although, life is not linear. We can take a hundred steps forward, and still get knocked down ten or even ninety. That is just life. It can be extra exhausting and frustrating trying to comprehend normal life hardships during trauma recovery. For me, after trauma all I have wanted was a break from difficulties. I have had breaks, but life is life so tough times still do come around. One of my goals is to get to a mental place where I can go through a normal hardship in life and realize that I can handle it without my trauma adding extra pain on top. I am just going to keep healing and releasing stored trauma day by day until I get there.

Do you have a preferred method of releasing stored trauma? If so, share it in the comments!