Anxiety, CPTSD and Intergenerational Trauma: Channeling Our Inner Superhero and Using Self-care
November 6, 2020
This week has been a doozy. Personally and nationally. It feels like that last battle everyone’s had in them is coming to an anxious head, needing a victory to feel the strength to move on. Because when you fight battle after battle after battle, you sometimes need a win to have the will to keep surviving. And when you’ve suffered trauma, and you know the next path could just lead to more trauma — disguising itself as something safe—inviting and luring you in—you sometimes feel too cautious to move forward. Like the change itself is the enemy. But it’s not the change that’s the enemy, it’s the trauma of our past. That residual feeling from being mistreated. From being unseen. From being unheard. From being abused. So then the trick becomes knowing what is safe change and what isn’t. And the only way to decipher between the two is to be connected to ourself. To be present. To hear our Higher Self. To channel our inner superhero.
Lately, the wins have felt few and far between. Even though I know they’re happening on a minor level, without a major win, it’s easy to lose hope. Like when no matter how optimistic and positive we are, another obstacle is thrown our way. Another hurdle to overcome. But what I’m learning is that that’s when we know we are getting stronger. Like a superhero, the stronger we fight, the more evil that shows up to try to take us down. Because the stronger our positive energy becomes, the more negative energy is going to try to take from it. To live off it. To thrive in it. Like a parasite. It’s why it is so imperative to stay present. To be rested and ready. For whatever may come our way.
And it’s why we have to create our own wins. No matter how small they may be. So that we can build strength within ourselves. Build confidence. Allowing us to know how to recharge even when life doesn’t go our way. And we can do this with self-care.
Self-care is what will provide us the stability to dodge the fireballs being thrown at us. The energy to redirect the crashing plane. The intuition to know when evil forces are upon us. And it’s those little wins that will cumulatively lead us to victory.
Each self-care act can be small. Like the superhero who retreats to recharge, it’s the little things that bring back her strength. Like resting. Getting out of bed. Bathing or showering. Smiling at ourselves in the mirror. Smelling flowers. Drinking water. Moving. Exercising. Eating nutritiously. Going outside. Listening to ourselves. To our bodies. Being mindful of our feelings. Speaking our truths. It’s those small victories that will save us. No matter what happens to us. No matter what new challenge or change life throws our way. And no matter whom our president turns out to be.
Self-care allows us to be present. To not let our anxiety over the possibilities of the future overwhelm us. To not let our depression from our treacherous past pull us back down. But to rise up. To stand tall. To stand our ground. To armor up—grab our weapons and our masks—and be ready to fight.
So that collectively, we will be ready for the next battle. For the next test. Which will inevitably come our way. So that eventually, we can get to the root of all that really matters. By fighting off the legions of evil and darkness to expose the love and the light in each of us. The healing that we all need. That our plant needs. That our karma needs. Helping us look forward to the bright future we all so desperately want to see.
It’s time to channel the strength of the superhero who resides within each of us. To practice self-care. To speak up for ourselves. To show up for each other. And to finally heal. So that one day, there will be fewer battles. A day when we can lay down our weapons. Put up our feet. And breathe in the joy our actions have created. But for now, we need to be present. To be aware. To observe. To accept change. And to know that each moment we are present is already a win.
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Image by Fifaliana Joy from Pixabay