Staying Strong After Overcoming Painful Experiences

Most of us have gone through painful life experiences that left us emotionally devastated. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, physical or mental abuse, disease diagnosis, a divorce, or disasters such as floods, fires and earthquakes etc., sudden traumatic events can shutter your world and upset your normal sense of safety and stability.

Everyone has difficult times in their lives and some of us go through things that end up haunting us for a very long time. The way we deal with these things is also very important because sometimes, letting go of our past is exactly what we need to do.

Picking up the pieces from your shattered life and finding reasons to keep on living is not always easy, but it’s possible. So, how do you stay strong after overcoming a painful experience?

Take Care of Yourself The Way You Used To Before Your Painful Experience

Even if you don’t feel like it, try your best to eat a well-balanced diet, drink lots of water and get enough sleep. This will help you begin feeling stronger and give you a richer sense of physical vitality.

When you add a regular exercise regime to this (a daily walk or run around your block, weight training, martial art etc.), your personal strength will grow even more and you’ll feel more empowered. Regular exercise will also help you feel less stressed about what you went through.

Don’t Let Your Past Define Who You Are

Reliving the past can be very addictive. Whenever you share your story with others, it may feel good to hear them tell you that you didn’t deserve what happened to you, or that you didn’t do anything wrong.

But in reality, this will only give your past the power to control you and keep you from moving forward. I’m sure you don’t want to live the rest of your life around a painful experience that you’d rather forget. Once you have had time to grief and accept the painful experience it’s time to move on. Choose to remember and focus on the good things you have now, be grateful for your life in this now-moment and from this point forward.

Note that no amount of reassurance from other people will change what you went through. Therefore, it’s better to let go of what you can’t control and move forward to a better life ahead. Of course this won’t be easy for you, as there are times when you’ll start feeling sorry for yourself.

Don’t allow yourself to drown in self-pity; instead make a list of the things you’re grateful at the present moment and thankful for them. This can be a loving and supportive family, a job, a roof over your head etc.

Continue reading to find out about 3 things you will want to consider.

Embrace Change

A painful experience such as losing a loved one, or being involved in an accident that left you disabled, will drastically change your world. You have to learn to create a new sense of normalcy, even if it means letting go of certain activities or goals that are no longer meaningful to you, and finding new opportunities that give you purpose.

Embracing change will help you to move forward and create a more fulfilling life for yourself.

Live In The Present

It takes courage and willingness to make a conscious decision to live fully in the present moment, instead of dwelling on what happened or how your life used to be before the incident. So, fight the urge to relive your painful past, and find reasons to be happy now.

Do The Things You Enjoy

No matter what you’ve been through in the past, you deserve to be happy now. So, engage in things that bring your joy. This can be listening to music, playing with children, painting pictures, watching a movie, or dancing with your family and friends.

As you do these things, you’ll find yourself thinking a lot less about your painful experience, and enjoying your present life more.

Overall, it’s possible to live a happy and fulfilling life after a painful life experience if you’re willing to completely let go of your past and live fully in the present. I hope these tips can help you stay strong as you rebuild your life.