Words of Support and Encouragement Week of April 26, 2010

Posted by Lisa Stack on Apr 26th, 2010 in news | 0 comments

While you are trying to conceive, it is important to be your own best friend and advocate. You may find yourself walking into challenging situations in the next few weeks (Mother’s Day), and so it is very important to listen to your mind and body. While it is not healthy to avoid public situations, you should anticipate and respond to your emotions while in challenging moments.

We have many different support opportunities available to you during the month of May, you can check our CNY Healing Arts and CNY Fertility Calendars for more information.

CNY Healing Arts

CNY Fertility

Also, be sure to look for the Holiday Support Guide article, to be posted this week.

Finally, I am attaching the ‘Soothing List’ activity as a refresher. This can act as a wonderful guide for walking yourself through challenging situations.

Please let me know if I can offer you any support on your journey!
Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

Soothing List

“Infants who are distressed need soothing. They can’t regulate themselves and need help calming down. As adults recovering from trauma, when our nervous system is activated, we become flooded in a chemical wash of stress hormones and feel just as irritated as a baby. We need soothing, too.

What each of us finds soothing is, of course, a matter of personal preference – which textures, sounds, kinds of touch, foods, kinesthetic experiences, and so on. It’s important to know what is soothing for you. We can refine our understanding of this by really listening to our body. When does the body relax? When does it go Ahhh?” (Cori, 160)

The following exercise will help you identify ways to self-soothe.

Name a texture you find comforting.
What is something you like to wear that feels comforting?
Name a couple of comfort foods.
What music or sounds do you find soothing? (Or do you prefer the absence of surrounding sound?)
Name an object that is comforting (yes, blankies count).
Name an animal and a way of being with that animal that is comforting to you.
Name a place you can go when you need soothing.
Name a person you find soothing. Now another person. Now get more specific. How do you prefer contact with either of these people? With what intention?
What activities (e.g., walking, swimming, hot tub, being held) are soothing to you?
Name a vacation setting that would be an immersion experience in self-soothing.

(The above exercise adapted from Healing from Trauma by Jasmin Cori, MS, LPC)