Restless because healing needs my attention 24/7

[purple diamonds]

Lately I haven’t been sleeping through the night and waking up early. I also have been neglecting my school work. This is because I recently started reading books on assertiveness, PTSD, and childhood neglect.
It made me realize how much work I have to do and I feel as though there’s not enough time in the day to get it all done. I go to sleep looking forward to working more the next day but I don’t stay asleep because I wake up anxious to heal more. I get up and start reading my books because I’m in class all day and can’t during the day. I tried reading them before bed but then I can’t get to sleep. I tried reading them when I get out of class but then I don’t study.

How do I ease my mind so that I accept that I can’t do it all in one day or a month and to stop rushing myself to be better?

 

[The Albatross]

The reality is that 24 hours is self destructive. Sounds to me like you're sabotaging your activities and recovery. Myth bust "healing needs my attention 24/7".

 

[somerandomguy]

You weren't traumatized in a day or a month. Healing from it is going to take more time than that, too.

Life requires prioritization. If healing is preventing you from doing schoolwork, maybe schoolwork should take priority for right now. I firmly believe that it's OK to postpone healing if you are in the middle of life events that make healing difficult as long as you are safe.

 

[purple diamonds]

I firmly believe that it's OK to postpone healing if you are in the middle of life events that make healing difficult as long as you are safe.

I often feel stuck in the past and like I don’t know how to interact with people around me. I’m in school for a degree that requires that I interact with people a lot. How do you get out of feeling aloof and distant while healing is put on hold?

 

[somerandomguy]

How do you get out of feeling aloof and distant while healing is put on hold?

That's a good question, but I don't think it's a question of healing - I think it's a question of PTSD, period, and knowing what kind of self-care you need.

I am also in a position that sometimes requires me to be "on" frequently. I can do it, but then I need to isolate myself for awhile afterwards. If I don't, I lose it.

 

[purple diamonds]

That's a good question, but I don't think it's a question of healing - I think it's a question of PTSD, period, and knowing what kind of self-care you need.

how did you get to a point where you understood what type of self care you needed?

 

[somerandomguy]

how did you get to a point where you understood what type of self care you needed?

A lot of trial and error, unfortunately.

 

[purple diamonds]

The reality is that 24 hours is self destructive. Sounds to me like you're sabotaging your activities and recovery".

How did you get out of a self-sabotaging mindset? It’s something I do with a lot of activities, task, and growth that’s uncomfortable. I freak myself out.

 

[purple diamonds]

A lot of trial and error, unfortunately.

What do you say or do to pick yourself during the error part of trial and error? I come down hard on myself when I make mistakes.

 

[mumstheword]

Self talk. What you tell yourself.

Maybe, start telling yourself thing's like ...

"I have the rest of my life to work on this".

"Rome wasn't built in a day. It's ok for this to take time".

"Self care is learning to be patient with myself and learning, step by step, what helps make me feel better."

"It's ok, to not be perfect. I'm going to get things wrong sometimes and that's ok, I'm human. Making mistakes is part of being human and part of how we learn."

"I don't have to know everything. In fact, I can't know everything. I just have to know enough to get through today, as well as I can. Tomorrow is another day, another day to learn, to grow and to get more well."

"Healing happens step by step. It's learning to take care of myself. Breath, relax, be present, eat as well as I can and when I need too, be kind to myself, do what I need to do, get enough exercise, sleep, be kind to myself, find people I can talk to, if I can't, it's ok, there's always tomorrow, and the next day, or the day after, or the day after that."

"This will take time. Working on myself will take time, but I have the rest of my life to work on.it, so it's ok, if I don't get feel like I'm making much progress, today. I just have to get through today (or tonight)"

" Tomorrow is another day. Relax."

 

[purple diamonds]

[QUOTE="mumstheword, "It's ok, to not be perfect. I'm going to get things wrong sometimes and that's ok, I'm human. Making mistakes is part of being human and part of how we learn."

"I don't have to know everything. In fact, I can't know everything. I just have to know enough to get through today, as well as I can. Tomorrow is another day, another day to learn, to grow and to get more well."

"Healing happens step by step. It's learning to take care of myself. Breath, relax, be present, eat as well as I can and when I need too, be kind to myself, do what I need to do, get enough exercise, sleep, be kind to myself, find people I can talk to, if I can't, it's ok, there's always tomorrow, and the next day, or the day after, or the day [/QUOTE]
I love all of these but these are probably my favorite. Thank you so much!

 

[Muttly]

We learn from our mistakes. Mistakes are learning opportunities for us to learn and grow

Some thing my therapists have said over and over-
This isn't a race to the finish line, it's a life long journey.
This is not an emergency.
You can only go as fast as you are ready to go. If you try to rush healing it just sets you back and either you don't get there any faster or you actually set yourself back