Are you experiencing emotional and spiritual distress?
We may feel heartbroken, anxious, hollow, and lose our sense of self. No one is immune to these feelings, which is why we may find ourselves looking for ways to aid in our emotional and spiritual healing. It is natural for us to carry these heavy feelings and feel stuck in a loop. However, it is crucial that you don’t feel like you are broken and can never be healed. We must address and enrich our souls in order to fully heal ourselves and improve our well-being. You may never be the same person you were before a traumatic event, but these distressing feelings can help you find yourself and understand your soul.
This guide will discuss the seven stages of emotional healing and how you can take them up to process your emotional pain and eventually feel whole again.
Seven Stages of Emotional Healing
The emotional and spiritual healing process varies from person to person. However, on the whole, individuals may follow the seven stages and emotional healing techniques to guide them along their path towards emotional recovery.
1. Exploration
The first thing to do is explore all of your feelings and not avoid them. In order to see determine whether you have been avoiding your distressing feelings, you need to simply observe your habits to know whether you are indulging in substance abuse, risky behavior, binge-watching shows, etc.
If so, you must stop doing these and explore your feelings. Go back to the origin or distressing event that has triggered all of these emotions. Understand these feelings and explore your memories, emotions, and more.
2. Expression
Now that you have understood your emotions, it is time to confront these emotions and let yourself feel them. You could talk to someone about these feelings, start journaling, or simply sit and contemplate. The key is to allow yourself to slowly feel the pain and emotions.
This will help you open the doors toward healing and help you move through all the rest of the stages of emotional healing.
3. Comfort
At this stage, you need someone who can provide you with the comfort you need. It could be a family member, friend, or even a therapist. Anyone willing to listen and talk you through the pain ultimately provides comfort as you process your distressing emotions.
4. Compensation
Now, it is time for you to start compensating for the painful thoughts and emotions you have been experiencing for so long. This can be done through indulging in activities that feed your soul and make you feel good.
For example, you could listen to ‘feel-good songs, take a long bath, indulge in self-care, plan a trip, and spend time with friends.
5. Perspective
At this point, you may find yourself feeling better and not as distressed as you once were. It is also the perfect time for you to look back and find perspective. Understand whether you need to give yourself more time to heal and if you have been looking at the previous distressing events from the wrong angle. When you are mending your heart, you will automatically experience this shift in perspective.
6. Channelling
As you start experiencing more positivity, you may start channeling it in ways that will make you feel better, for example, by indulging in yoga, meditation, and expressing gratitude. You should acknowledge the past mistakes and distressing events, but be sure to not dwell on negative feelings like regret or recrimination.
7. Forgiveness
The last stage is for you to finally look back and forgive. You should forgive anyone who has hurt you and made you feel emotionally distressed. At the same time, you should also forgive yourself for harboring negative feelings towards yourself. This forgiveness does not require you to go up to people and make amends to them. You can also do it privately on your own.
Final Words
You should use these seven stages of emotional healing to repair your broken heart and wounded soul. Healing is a messy, challenging, and time-consuming journey, so you should stay consistent, committed, and patient. Set realistic expectations, and don’t be too hard on yourself.
