Examining your current well-being
Monitoring and taking care of your own wellbeing is an essential prerequisite for effectively helping others. It is one of the best ways to maintain your fitness to continue in your role as a helper.
After a traumatic event, it’s helpful to understand the wide range of normal reactions that you may experience. It can also be helpful to have a systematic method of checking-in with yourself and paying attention to whether you are experiencing any symptoms of trauma.
Using a checklist can help you do this. A checklist or self-examination scale can familiarize you with typical trauma symptoms so that you can recognize them more easily. It can also help you think about which trauma reactions, if any, you commonly experience.
When completing an exercise like this, it is important to remember that it can stir up some powerful and unpleasant memories and emotions. Don’t forget that you can take a break if this happens and do something else for a while. If you’re feeling upset and you’re not sure what to do to calm or soothe yourself, follow this link and try some of the suggestions in the section on dealing with distress.
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For personal reflection…
- Follow this link to see a list of self-examination scales you could use if you would like to explore whether you may be experiencing symptoms of trauma.
- What has helped you cope following traumatic events you have experienced in your life? Or, what do you think you would find most comforting and helpful during the period following a traumatic event?
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Next: Taking care of yourself after traumatic events |