Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…
It’s about learning to dance in the rain.
-Vivian Greene
Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.
-Buddha
Have you had any recent setbacks? I know I sure have! They’re hard to manage, aren’t they? We often hope and expect the road to healing to be linear, and it can be quite a shock when we discover that this isn’t the truth. Here we are following this nice, direct path upwards towards feeling better, when suddenly (or not so suddenly) something knocks us off this straight and narrow course. This might be overdoing it, an unexpected problem or emotional disconnection from others, to name a few things. Remember, it’s hard to be in this space of discomfort!
For most of us, when setbacks show up, we wonder if we’re still on the road to healing (you are!). We wonder how long we’ll stay in this rut (hopefully, not long!). We also worry about other things knocking us off course again, once we are feeling better.
So, what are some things we can do to make setbacks easier to deal with when they do show up?
- Lean into the discomfort you’re feeling instead of trying to find ways to numb or bury these feelings.
- Name your current emotions and allow yourself time and space to feel them.
- Remind yourself that setbacks are a normal part of the road to healing (normalize it!).
- Prioritize self-care.
- Talk to others about how you’re truly feeling. This may include a trusted family member, your best friend, your therapist, someone from your place of worship, etc.
- Pay attention to what’s right in front of you versus looking too far forward into the future.
- Come up with a mantra to help you through this hard time.
- Try to show yourself grace, kindness, and compassion.
- Focus on gratitude and all that you’re thankful for in your life.
There are so many types of healing that we all experience at one time or another from physical injuries and illnesses to relationship problems to issues during life transitions. Know that you’re not alone as you navigate these hard times, and you’re also not alone as you navigate setbacks while on the road to healing.
