Managing is an interesting word. We can manage our weight, manage a bank, manage other people, and manage to get through our day. But, I really like to promote the managing of our personal safety.
Specifically, managing trauma.
Trauma = harm. Harm to our physical self and our inner psyche. It can take hold and not let go. It can inform us of how to go about our daily lives, even if we don’t want it to. It can persist.
And, to make things even more challenging, many of us are trying to care for others when we are already feeling overwhelmed. It can seem endless and unfair.
We can learn to manage our response to trauma, and that is the pearl of wisdom in this post.
There is an organization called The Trauma Stewardship Institute which is focused on “raising awareness of the cumulative toll on individuals, organizations, institutions, movements, communities, and society as a whole as a result of being exposed to suffering, hardship, crisis or trauma.”
Managing trauma often causes overwhelm. I don’t know about you, but these days I find it easy to feel overwhelmed. Here are 4 free downloads from The Trauma Stewardship Institute I discovered online, which may be of help:
- Tiny Survival Guide. This is a cartoon that briefly depicts overall coping strategies.
- Map for Managing One’s Day. This reads like a meandering path that starts on the lower left, so be sure and stop to read the messages and reflect for a while before moving on to the next stepping stone––and print out a color copy to put up on your fridge door!
- Gratitude Log. This is a basic must-have for daily, weekly, or random reflections.
- When Experiencing Overwhelm and Trauma. This depicts the cycle that seems never-ending, yet you can jump off at any time.
I hope you manage to have a good day today!
