A Journey To Wellness Though Spiritual Solutions And Self Care
Author: wendyblanchard044
Author, Mental Health and Wellness Educator, Board Certified Peer Specialist in mental health and substance use disorder, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach
Your need for rest, your healing body, your pain…none of these make you unworthy of love.
They make you human. They make you someone who knows how to take care of herself, who listens to her body, who has fought to stay alive and thrive, even after being told not to. That’s incredible.
The man who deserves you will see your resting as wisdom, not weakness. He will see your scars as proof of your courage, not as flaws. And he will be honored…truly honored to walk beside someone who has survived so much with such grace and still chooses love.
We all have feelings and emotions. Some days they may stop us in our steps and say, “Hello, I need to be acknowledged!” Sometimes this may be a delayed trauma response, or it may be a culmination of chronic stressors where we feel overwhelmed.
Give your feelings a voice. Honor your emotions.
“STOP. PAUSE. EMOTE. ALLOW. REST. – S.P.E.A.R.“
S.P.E.A.R. and S.W.I.M. Into Wellness! (You can read about this in my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care https://a.co/d/a8lzF4O
When you feel triggered, or you feel your symptoms escalating…S.P.E.A.R.
This is a non-linear recovery plan that is specific to your health and wellness goals.
STOP where you are.
PAUSE TO BE PRESENT. PATIENTLY PROCESS. Take one slow deep breath through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth.
Repeat three times. Your breath is your most accessible tool to intervene with your physiology in real time. Focus on your breath to align with the present moment.
EMOTE safely anything that you are feeling. You are allowed to feel whatever you feel!
Try the Alternate Nostril Breathing below to self soothe as you release your feelings/emotions.
Allow yourself to feel, and take whatever time you need. Practice extra self care.
ACCEPT your emotions and feelings. Take as long as you need to practice acceptance and validate what you are feeling in a safe space without self judgement. Acceptance promotes peace.
REST and RE-ALIGN, and allow yourself time to process. Hydrate!
Write about it! Take your time with this step. Then, RE-FRAME using a healthy mindset and being open to new perspectives to re-frame the experience as you move forward. Ask yourself, “In moving forward, how can I use my self awareness of this trigger/ stressor in conjunction with my self regulation skills in order to navigate constructively? (Daily self care to stay ahead of the stressor? Take a “time out?” Etc.)
For those who mean well by telling you to “Focus on your blessings! Be positive,” give yourself permission and power to realize when others do not know how to support us appropriately, and do not have the skill, or the experience and words that we may need at the time, and know that they mean well. And, some may be uncomfortable observing as we experience emotions and feelings because it may force them to go within where they may be suppressing their own feelings and emotions that also need validation.
We ALL have mental health.
When we are feeling mentally unwell, we do not need to “focus on our blessings and all the positives in our lives.“ What we need is a safe space, and the time, however long that is for us, to experience the experience.
S.P.E.A.R. yourself into the experience. Ask for support if you feel you need support. This begins the healing process.
Whatever healthy practices you need to heal, do it…and take your time.”
To read more about my S.P.E.A.R. and S.W.I.M. Into Wellness component of my “Integrative Approach to Wellness” program, read my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care.https://a.co/d/a8lzF4O
I observe the ones who stop and squeeze my hand and offer words of comfort.
I receive the calls and texts ongoing with kind words and prayers…
And I feel comforted.
And then I observe the ones that look at me, smile, and keep right on walking without a word. I observe others who do not call or text unless it is for their own personal gain.
And I feel sorry for them…as they lack empathy.
When we “feel empathy,” we are connected. When we cannot offer even one word of comfort in a crisis…there is a disconnect between our hearts and our presence.
Stay connected. Be present. Comfort one who is experiencing pain. Offer your time and a brief reprieve.
Herein lies empathy that may change the trajectory of one’s day.
As a spiritual student and teacher, I have learned that once I release any expectations, and I trust in my spiritual connection, I experience the experiences I have dreamed about.
These spiritual experiences have been awe inspiring and captivating.
I choose to allow Spirit to lead me to, and through the magnificence of these spiritually aligned experiences.
Through inner introspection and an open heart…I hear “the calling.”
Write Pray Recover 