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If you’ve gone through a challenge, crisis or trauma, here’s 7 signs you are actually healing emotionally.
Life is full of ups and downs, but sometimes the unexpected happens and knocks us off our feet.
We may endure bouts of depression, grief and trauma… with little idea when we’ll start to feel better.
For example, while some people find normalcy after grieving within six months to a year, about 10%-20% of bereaved individuals slip into complicated grief.
Depending on the loss — such as losing a child or one’s home after a natural disaster — this might last for several years.
Because recovery has no timeline, it’s hard to tell when life’s taken a positive trajectory, especially if you’ve suffered from depression or unfavorable circumstances for a while.
No worries – I’m here to help explain the healing process a bit to you.
As you might already know, I’m a Master Mindset Coach, and a bestselling personal development author with about 2 million books sold globally.
Plus I founded the therapist recommended Stop Emotional Eating Course.
I love to share mindset mastery tips to help people to heal from challenges and live their happiest life. With this in mind here are signs you’re getting stronger emotionally over time.
Here are seven signs you might actually be healing emotionally.
An improved mood is a more obvious sign of healing from a depressive episode or prolonged sadness. Perhaps you find yourself singing in the car or laughing at a funny scene in a movie. It could even be as simple a moment as smiling at someone you lock eyes with at the store.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 280 million people have depression worldwide. Some of the more common symptoms include:
Noticing some of the symptoms of depression have subsided is a clear indication you’re on the path to recovery. You may even recognize the unmistakable feeling of happiness again.
Many people prefer sweeping their physical and emotional baggage under the rug. The only issue is that those problems are more likely to reappear if you don’t deal with them head-on.
Of course, when you’ve sat in a puddle of troubles for what seems like forever, it’s no wonder you might get tired of facing the inevitable. However, ignoring a bad situation or negative feelings will only worsen things.
A sure sign of healing is when you give yourself space to work through your emotions — to feel what you must, regardless of what gets stirred up in the process.
Feeling your feelings indicates you’re working through your problems and recuperating.
Traumatic experiences can hold you back from the things you want. Unfortunately, grappling to make sense of it all is an exhausting process that often requires therapy and patience.
Trauma is surprisingly more common than you might believe, with 60% of men and 50% of women experiencing at least one traumatic event throughout their lives.
Whether it’s sexual assault, a natural disaster, war, witnessing someone dying, an accident or being bullied as a child, trauma can stay with you for a long time.
You might recognize yourself healing if you notice you’re less afraid. Maybe you’re more excited to try new things, face your fears or even leave your house. Trauma healing will always positively affect your quality of life.
Isolating oneself is typical for those who go through life’s challenges. You might not have the energy for larger crowds or the desire to meet one-on-one with others, even if they’re family members or close friends.
Adverse mental health can induce feelings of loneliness, even when you’re not alone, or you could be afraid of judgment or being misunderstood.
Your social life is likely to improve as you heal. Maybe it’ll start with a friend stopping by for coffee or meeting someone for lunch. It could also be striking up a conversation with a stranger. Whatever the situation, finding your voice again amid good company is a promising sign.
Depression, grief, trauma or other negative emotions might make you feel stuck. However, a sudden longing for a transition or transformation signifies that you’re well on your way toward healing.
Have you been thinking about moving? Do you hope to switch careers? Wanting to make a change could signify you’re over feeling unhappy and that you’re ready to recapture your joy.
However, before rushing to list your house or send in your resignation letter, you might want to take things slowly. Rearranging the furniture, booking a vacation and updating your resume are good places to start.
People with insomnia often wind up with depression or other medical problems. At the same time, those with mental health conditions or chronic ailments usually have trouble sleeping — some might even say it’s a vicious cycle.
Sleep studies suggest that insomnia could affect as much as 50%-60% of the population and is most prevalent in female adults with medical or mental health conditions.
Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep every night for most individuals, but the quality of a restful night’s sleep is just as critical.
Once you’ve stopped getting tangled in your sheets, are waking up less frequently and feel well rested in the morning, you might assume things are looking up. Even if you aren’t meeting the standard sleep recommendations, you should be able to notice an improvement in your feelings overall.
Radical acceptance takes practice but can significantly progress your healing.
Learning acceptance means you honor your experiences and emotions without judgment and enable yourself to move forward. Not everyone likes this stage of healing, as acceptance often leaves a void where the pain once occupied.
However, hope and happiness replace sadness when we learn to accept, encouraging self-growth and awareness of our emotional needs.
Emotional healing is a personal journey, and there’s no one-size-fits-all when developing coping strategies. What’s most important is recognizing the areas of strength and growth throughout the process and rediscovering your smile.
Explore my therapist recommended online program: Stop Emotional Eating Course.