Self healing is about integrating healthy routines into your life that enhance and support wellness and healing. These practices may include mindfulness, meditation, exercising, challenging negative thoughts and setting boundaries.
It’s a process of loving yourself and treating yourself with the same kindness and compassion you would a friend. This includes acknowledging painful feelings like grief and rage.
1. Take care of yourself.
Getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising regularly, and avoiding things that trigger stress are all essential self-healing practices. Self-care is a lifelong journey and involves learning to take responsibility for your mental health, not just the absence of symptoms.
Therapy provides a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can explore your feelings and coping skills. Therapists help you recognize negative thought patterns that interfere with your emotional wellness and teach practical coping strategies.
Situation selection is linked to personality, meaning that people with self-healing personalities are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and avoid unhealthy ones. This can include focusing on short-term goals and rewarding yourself for achieving them.
2. Talk to someone.
From free resources like crisis hotlines to professional therapy, there are many ways you can find help. Remember that it’s okay to ask for support and that helping others with their mental health is a powerful act of self care.
If you’re not ready to talk to someone about your struggles, self-healing is a process of integrating healing techniques into daily routines. This may include meditation, journaling, exercise, challenging negative thoughts, and improving sleep habits. These activities can help improve self-awareness, regulate emotions, and build resilience. This is important because they can help you develop healthy coping strategies and avoid self-sabotage in the future.
3. Practice self-compassion.
Self-compassion involves caring for yourself, embracing difficult emotions and acknowledging the fact that you will make mistakes or struggle sometimes. This is different from self-criticism, which involves being harsh and critical with yourself when you fail or don’t meet your expectations.
Practicing mindfulness can help you develop self-compassion by giving you perspective on your thoughts and feelings so they don’t have as much power over you. Some examples of mindfulness practices include journaling, keeping a feelings and needs list, and practicing self-compassion meditation.
There are many resources online for self-compassion meditation, including recordings from Kristen Neff, a pioneer in the field who developed an empirically supported self-compassion training program. One of her suggested exercises involves imagining the kind words you would say to a friend who was struggling.
4. Listen to your body.
Whether you’re stretching a sore muscle or reaching for a sweater to combat the chill, each intuitive response is your body communicating with you. Learning to listen and honor these messages can help you build a trusting relationship with your body’s wisdom.
Practice tuning into your body throughout the day and ask it what it needs. You might hear the message that your shoulders are tense, that you’re hungry or that it wants a break. Be willing to honor each request as it is given, even if it goes against what your mind thinks you should do.
5. Move your body.
It’s no secret that your body is an incredibly self-healing organism. A paper cut heals, a cold runs its course, and broken bones knit themselves back together.
Grounding meditations are one of the simplest ways to start healing yourself. Simply sit in a comfortable position and focus on your feet. Imagine roots growing down into the earth from your feet, and let any negative energy go with them.
Try to practice daily. Healing doesn’t happen overnight and it will take consistency to overcome traumas and heal your whole being.
6. Take time for yourself.
It’s important to take time for yourself and explore healing practices that resonate with you. This may include meditation, mindfulness, yoga or other fitness classes, journaling, and challenging negative thoughts.
It also involves nourishing your soul. This can be a big challenge but is essential for self healing. Try to cultivate compassion and self-love. You can do this by acknowledging your feelings without judgment and prioritizing your own needs.
If you’re struggling, it can help to seek professional support. Talk therapy is often an integral part of the self healing process.
7. Acknowledge your feelings.
Emotions serve a purpose, so it’s important to acknowledge them. Trying to avoid or suppress emotions isn’t the best idea because it may make them worse in the long run. Similarly, telling someone to “get over it” doesn’t actually help them.
Learn to label what you’re feeling, putting aside any stories about how they are irrational or dramatic. Instead, remind yourself that all feelings are valid and they will only pass when you allow them to. Don’t try to force yourself through them, it takes time to heal.
