Trauma-INFORMED New Year's Resolutions
New Year, New Who?
For many with trauma-related issues and needs, Happy New Year is a kind of an oxymoron – there isn’t much that feels happy when facing a New Year that includes continuing to deal with the impact of unresolved trauma.
Unresolved trauma carries many unpleasant, frightening, stressful thoughts, beliefs, feelings and sensations which contributes to a continuation of some of the pain of trauma.
Given the nature of unresolved trauma, generating a list of resolutions can be a source of frustration and despair.
Perhaps redefining the kinds of resolutions a trauma-impacted person needs can put a more hopeful and positive spin on this tradition of generating a list of resolutions for the New Year.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Resolve to be kind to yourself.
- Resolve to find ways to promote safety in your world.
- Resolve to find your personal power that so often is weakened as a result of trauma.
- Resolve to find ways to experience the grief that is always a part of trauma.
- Resolve to find resources that will allow you to work on your own plan for recovery and healing that is fair and comprehensive, but that does not pressure you to find just a quick fix strategy.
What is your intention for 2022?
