Americans work harder, longer, more strenuous hours with less vacation than nearly every other country in the world. We are notoriously stressed, sick from stress, and stressed about the fact that we are sick. When we are living with unresolved, untreated trauma, our stress is increased exponentially. Stress inhibits our immune system and increases inflammation, making us more stressed, more sick, and less capable of effectively coping with the manifestations of our trauma. All we want as survivors of trauma is a chance to relax. Whether we live with PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, or not, we are still living with extreme stress as survivors of trauma. As a result, we often live with hyper-vigilance, keeping us on edge, alert, awake, and anxious. Learning how to relax as a daily necessity, rather than the occasional luxury, is a must.
August 15th is Relaxation Day. Though the origins of Relaxation Day are unknown, the vital importance of its existence is inarguable. Of course, we shouldn’t have to have a relaxation day, a day which specifically tells us its okay to kick back and take a load off. We deserve to relax every single day. Moreover, we deserve to live in a way which keeps us on some level of relaxation that isn’t chronic stress.
We cannot avoid stress in our lives. Stress is a natural response of our human body when our body and brain activate the fight or flight system. We have stress hormones which help our body prepare to take action. Life events, what we call in recovery “life on life’s terms” can be stressful when they are both positive and negative. The point of trauma recovery is not necessarily to learn how to relax in the face of stress, though that would be ideal. Some stress is meant to be stressful so we can take the actions required. Recovering from trauma does teach us how to stay more relaxed when needed, practice relaxation for ourselves, and make relaxation a priority of our daily lives. In our next QA we’ll discuss ways to incorporate relaxation into your recovery.
At The Guest House Ocala, we welcome everyone who has experienced trauma and, as a result, is suffering from addictions, mental health disorders, or other manifestations. Our programs are custom tailored to the specific experiences and needs of each client. Everyone has a story. Change yours today. Call us at Call 1-855-483-7800.