Take control of your recovery:

• Get rid of any physical reminders of your pain. This could be everything from an anniversary card from the abuser to a sweatshirt that you wore on a bad night.

• Set strong boundaries or completely disengage with anyone who makes you feel bad. Your gut won’t lie to you; get those negative people out of your life.

• Do not speak anything negative about yourself; thoughts and words hold power.

• Do not speak about negative experiences. Repeating these stories will only keep you stuck.

• Prioritize healing and self-care over everything else. Be kind to yourself and act as though you’re healing from a major health crisis, because you are.

• Do not numb yourself to escape your feelings; this will only prolong the pain.

• Don’t let pride get in the way of your healing.

• Bring beautiful things into your life that add comfort, color, and liveliness, like tea, art, and house plants.

• Eat a nutritious diet to heal your body and mind.

• Quit drinking alcohol. The toxin is known to cause and escalate depression and anxiety.

• Let go of resentment toward others who you feel did you wrong.

• Find an outlet for anger; that energy will always find a place to go.

• Stay away from places that feel like negative energy.

• Adopt a pet for comfort if you can.

• Sleep, sleep, sleep. Restore your mind, body, and spirit with rest.

• Listen to self-help podcasts; feed your mind a positive outlook.

• Read self-help books and practice growth.

• Routinely see a therapist. Seek a specialist in the areas you need help with and keep searching until you connect with the right therapist.

• Protect your privacy. Do not share your location or struggles on social media. Don’t put yourself at risk or identify as a victim.

• Keep a journal to routinely check in with your internal dialogue and get your thoughts out. This is much healthier than sharing on your socials.

• Go on a retreat. Change your scenery and commit to your healing.

• Practice meditation.

• Book a reiki energy healing session to help release trauma from your body.

• Book a massage to feel the comfort of a caring human touch.

• Practice yoga to help connect your breath and body.

• Join a dance class to get your energy level up and meet new friends.

• Start a running program, and move your body!

• Join a cycling studio and sweat out that toxic energy.

• Take the opportunity to redesign your life. Let go of the old and visualize what really makes you happy. Welcome change.

• Spend time in nature. Touch your bare feet to the earth and water and feel grounded.

• Act and live bravely. Small acts lead to big changes.

• Identify your allies and avoid the others. It’s okay to have a small circle.

• Find a community that doesn’t know of your past negative experiences. It’s nice to have a place to go where you don’t run the risk of being triggered.

• Look for your inner strength– you’ll find it, you are strong!

• Challenge yourself by doing things out of your comfort zone. You’ll build up your self-confidence.

• Find solitude in being alone. Reconnect with the activities that made you happy when you were younger.

• Spend time outside daily. Being outside, even when the sun isn’t out, can help align your circadian rhythm and improve your sleep cycle.

• Buy yourself small gifts and let yourself feel worthy; reinforce that you deserve it. Abusers can make you feel like you don’t deserve anything, which isn’t true.