In today’s blog post we’re talking about self-awareness and possible misconceptions you might have about healing.

“Self awareness doesn’t stop you from feeling deeply, instead it allows you to learn from your feelings.”

~ CRK

Yeah, I quoted myself but only because I’ve said it so many times this month! I have noticed lately a pattern with clients. Whether it’s a couple or individual, we humans think that solving a problem in our life means that we won’t feel any type of way about it again.
Sorry. Not true.

Just because we address the root of an anxious moment or our own sadness, it doesn’t mean we’ll never be anxious or sad again.

Self-awareness and healing:

What “healing” really means, is addressing the root so you know how to handle the feelings when they come up again.

Let’s take the pandemic as an example. Even if you made it through completely unscathed by loss, you still had to navigate socialization in a world of positive tests and masks and vax. That was hard.

Add on anything additional like a loss, or a new baby, a job change or a new home and the pressure became even greater.

So, we made it through all that and here we are back to “normal”.

But it doesn’t feel the way it used to.

Self-awareness leading to grace:

We may be anxious. We may be sad. We may feel overwhelmed by things that used to not overwhelm us. We may feel nothing at all and that is scary too. We may simply be having a harder time mustering the joy we used to feel.

Whatever the case, the pandemic years affected us and “getting through them” to this point does not absolve us from feeling some type of way (as my cool young clients say).

So, give yourself some grace if you notice emotions you’re not used to. It isn’t because you’re broken or damaged or incapable of handling it. (All descriptions of self that I hear from humans who are way too hard on themselves.)

Also, there is no right way to feel. (Also, a common refrain.)

Freedom from self-judgement:

Whatever your experiences are will contribute to how you feel and that doesn’t say anything about who you are or what your capable of. So, let the feelings in, whatever they may be, free from judgement.

Recognize what you’re feeling. Try to identify why. Or if you can’t pinpoint a why, just blame two years of trauma. Then, allow yourself the room to feel whatever you feel and do what you need to do to move through the feelings onto the other side.

You deserve the joy that CAN come during this time. That joy CAN live alongside opposite emotions. So, feel some type of way, and then give yourself space to let in the joy, whenever and however you can.

You got this. WE got this.
Xoxo,
Cristie

P.S.  If you need support, reach out to me for a complimentary chat about your struggles and desires for healing.  You can learn more about me here.