Written by Alisse Andrews
There are a lot of reasons that people fall off their workout routines, being time, money, motivation, injury, the list goes on. Although there is one very real and not so rare reason that isn’t talked about enough: emotional trauma.
Everyone experiences life differently. Even if one could experience the exact same thing, no two people are alike. Therefore, the burden of the experience itself will weigh down on us in different ways.
Emotional trauma is a dark and undiscussed area of our lives that many do not know how to navigate well without help, let alone figure out how to work around or through wide ranges of sometimes debilitating traumas most humans will experience in this lifetime. To fall off your workouts is one thing, but many fall off completely in a sequence of collapse like dominos, without any idea how to prevent it.
In order to bite the bullet aimed at our hearts before it pierces through the fabrics of our daily lives, we must acknowledge it, seek assistance where it is available and if all other options on the table fail, plan accordingly. The best way to conquer our goals is to allow emotional trauma to exist within while working towards getting it out, in healthy ways. Below I have created a routine that is designed to do this very thing.
Hurting Hearts Morning Routine
- Get up, make your bed and do a simple stretch and drink your water.
- Journal. Write whatever it is that is on your mind. If you draw blanks, write a gratitude list. Even if it’s just one thing a day, like the ability to get as far as holding your pen to paper.
- Breakfast. Get your protein in. For those who intermittent fast, during states of trauma, your body requires more nutrients. Take a high-dose multivitamin or multi mineral supplement at least.
- Meditate. We all have different ways. Sometimes it’s as simple as just staring at the wall for 5-10 minutes, clear of any thoughts that may fester.
- Take a cold shower. Yes, it sucks, but it works wonders for trauma and cortisol levels. It also distracts you from falling back into rumination.
- Somatic Exercise. Keep it simple and choose a style that suits you that day. Often, Dance Movement Therapy is best for beginners. You can find many free videos to guide you through or simply put on some soothing music and just DANCE.
- Body Percussion. This is a technique for those who simply can’t get their head in the game no matter how hard they try. Cup your hands, and clap them just under your collarbones 5 times, move to your hips, clap on hips 10 times. Move to sides and front of thighs and clap 5 times each leg. Repeat anywhere that feels the most tense.
- Hip rotating. Stand on the spot, and create five circular motions with your hands on your hips in each direction, three times. Do not move your legs, just your hips. We host most of our trauma in our hips, as well as our hearts.
- Breathe. Sit down, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. There is a method of calm where you may pinch your nose right between your eyes with thumb and middle finger. Place your index finger on one eyebrow with pressure, and pinky finger covering one nostril. Breathe slow and deep in through the other nostril. In and out. Repeat with opposite hand on opposite nostril and eyebrow. Concentrate only on this. It will require it, anyway.
- Go to a mirror. Look yourself in the eyes and say these phrases. “I am so proud of you” “I love you” “you matter” “You are blessed” “you are growing” “you are all you need.” Repeat them back once more, this time with the word “I” instead of “you”
Whatever life throws at us, many don’t have the option to stop living in order to give themselves the time we all need to recover. Setting yourself up to push forward while you’re still able will prevent you from crashing and hitting burnout, which for many can take years to fully recover from, again, only when given the time and space to heal.
So, if you have fallen off your workouts and know you’re just not enjoying anything like you used to, give yourself the gift of self love in the form of planning and prioritizing your mental health. Do this so that life doesn’t pass you by while you’re on your knees. Take it slow, one day at a time. You will be shocked at how this routine can help you get back to yourself and regular activities sooner than ever. And please remember, you matter.