Recovering from a traumatic experience is a process and everyone experiences it differently and in their own time. One of the most important strategies for recovery from trauma is self-care.

• Get adequate sleep and eat healthy foods. Grieving takes a lot of energy and your body needs nourishment and rest.
• Exercise regularly; it helps with anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness.
• Don’t isolate yourself from others. Spend time with family and friends who can provide you with emotional support.
• Talk about your feelings with people who care about you and will listen without judgment. Seek help from professionals when appropriate.
• Allow yourself to cry; crying is a natural part of grief.
• Allow yourself to laugh. Don’t underestimate the power of small pleasures and diversions!
• Accept caring and practical support from others and let others know what you need.
• Avoid using drugs and alcohol to cope with emotions; they can conceal legitimate emotions and disturb the grieving process.
• Give yourself all the time you need to feel and understand the loss.
• Maintain a normal routine and take care of what needs to get done. Start with smaller tasks and move on to bigger ones in time.
• Be kind to yourself!