Let the Sun Shine

 Sun and Serotonin

source

As I was in the middle of my surgeries and pain, I realized how important the sun was for me.

I have always loved to be in the heat.  I love to sweet and work hard.  I loved training!

I thought being on my workouts in the morning was the primary reason that I felt so good later in the day, however I have learned it was also due to the vitamin D that my body was soaking in.  

I was seeing first hand what a lack of vitamin D would do to a persons mood.  I was fighting not only the physical pain from the accident but also the lack of serotonin in my brain.  I was beginning to feel very frustrated!

 My doctor told me to stand in the sun with out sunglasses and allow my eyes and body to "soak up the sun" for a minimum of 20 min. twice a day!
 
Her reason:  Our serotonin  (the chemical responsible for mood elevation in the brain) levels are increased in the presence of the sun.

What a difference! Of course the warmth of the sun felt great but so did the effects of the sun on my brain!

When we are in the middle of an insurmountable event we must remember there are always things we can do to get through it.  

Trama Challenges our Basic Securities

Balance in Life

We have Basic Securities that create a balanced Emotional and Physical foundation as to how we live our life.

 

source

Trauma affects the Physical, Emotional and our Mental abilities.

As humans we have basic psychological needs. 

We have the need to feel relatively safe.

And the need to trust other people.

We expect to have some control over our lives.

We want to feel that we are of value.

We have an inate need to feel close to other people.

The Headington Institute shares this information:

Safety: Traumatic events can alter your assumptions
and beliefs about how safe the world really is.

Trust: When a traumatic event is man-made, 
it can undermine the basic 
sense of trust you have in other people.

Control: Traumatic events can shatter 
your ideas and ideals about how much 
control you really have over your life and choices.

Esteem and value: Traumatic events can disrupt 
your sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and inherent value.

Intimacy: Impaired trust following traumatic events 
can make intimacy with other people difficult.

 

It is possible to find hope and peace following a traumatic event - I found it imperative to allow myself to feel what I was feeling .  At times it was very dark but... as I allowed my human mind to experience life I was able to move through more peacefully.