Hi there my beautiful lovelies! Hope you guys are doing well and staying safe. Since May 14, 2022, 35 people have traumatically lost their lives in three different mass shootings. What has been the most traumatic was the death of 19 children. For one, I have been crying every time I see the news and have trouble sleeping. I have been dealing with sadness, anger, and even overwhelming fear. However, I am using mindfulness to address my trauma. Today, I will share with you some tips on the use of mindfulness to address the trauma of mass shootings.
Trauma and How It Affects Us
As explained by the minful.org website, approximately 60% of North Americans experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Some of these individuals may go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition marked by intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to a traumatic experience that lasts long after the traumatic event has ended. These types of trauma have a negative impact on our brains. Human and animal studies find that traumatic stress is associated with decreased volume in the hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, and left amygdala; brain regions that are highly sensitive to environmental threats.
Mindfulness To Deal With Trauma
Studies have shown that higher levels of dispositional mindfulness are associated with fewer concurrent PTSD symptoms in survivors of natural disasters, victims of sexual abuse or assault, and firefighters. Other studies looking at veterans have shown that mindfulness can help mediate the negative mental health effects of trauma. Additionally, a meta-analysis of 18 studies compared the effects of mindfulness-based interventions to those of a randomized control group in reducing the psychological symptoms of traumatic stress and PTSD. This study included data on 1,219 participants. Researchers found that individuals who participated in the mindfulness-based interventions demonstrated significantly lower levels of PTSD symptoms following treatment than various control group members.
Simple Techniques To Practice Mindfulness
Follow these simple techniques offered by verywellmind.com to practice mindfulness.
- Find a comfortable position either lying on your back or sitting. If you are sitting down, make sure that you keep your back straight and release the tension in your shoulders. Let them drop.
- Close your eyes.
- Focus your attention on your breathing. Simply pay attention to what it feels like in your body to slowly breathe in and out.
- Now bring your attention to your belly. Feel your belly rise and expand every time you breathe in. Feel your belly fall every time you breathe out.
- Continue to focus your attention on the full experience of breathing. Immerse yourself completely in this experience. Imagine you are “riding the waves” of your own breathing.
- Anytime that you notice your mind has wandered away from your breath (it likely will and this is completely normal!), simply notice what it was that took your attention away and then gently bring your attention back to the present moment—your breathing.
- Continue as long as you would like!
You can also watch the following that will help you with a quick guided mindfulness-based meditation to deal with stress:
The trauma of mass shootings has become a common part of our lives. Sadly, unless we take action and remove lawmakers who don’t care about the mass shooting issues and hide behind NRA and mental health, I am afraid we will continue to face this trauma. However, let us use mindfulness to be more resilient, and help us with the mental strength to get back our voice through our votes.
Please comment below as to how are you dealing with the trauma of mass shootings? I would love to hear your feedback. Please let me know what topic you want me to cover next.
In the meantime, don’t forget to check out my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram @forevernij and Twitter page @allaboutme3181. Are you on Bloglovin? Also please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Let’s support each other. Please follow me and comment below with your information so that I can follow you back.
———————————– Happy Reading ———————————-
Follow my Instagram page on @forevernij
Follow my Facebook Page on @forevernij
Subscribe to my YouTube channels (two)
Follow my Twitter account @allaboutme3181
Check out my Amazon Storefront
Buy From My Closet
Shop from my closet at Poshmark
Shop from my closet at Ebay
CAUSES CLOSE TO MY HEART
PLEASE DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH MY FUNDRAISING LINKS:
I consider myself fortunate to have good health, a full-time job, and a roof over my head. However, there are still so many people who are struggling to put food on their tables. Please join me to help those who are struggling. If you have good health, full-time jobs, and a roof over your head, please join me to help those who are struggling. Whether you donate $5 or $500, you will make a huge difference in someone’s life.
America’s kids need us. The coronavirus is closing schools nationwide, and millions of vulnerable children are losing the school meals they depend on. For some, it’s the only food they’ll receive on a given day. We have a plan to feed kids, but we need your help today to continue our work to ensure every kid gets three meals a day. You can click above to donate to mygofundme page donation going directly to the organization, or you can click on the direct link to the site.
PLEASE DONATE ANY AMOUNT YOU CAN AND SHARE THE POST WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW.
Manna Food Center, a nonprofit organization, strives to eliminate hunger in Montgomery County through food distribution, education, and advocacy. Millions of children go to bed hungry in America every year, sadly it’s worse now! Today, 14 million children regularly miss meals — three times more than during the Great Recession and five times more than before the pandemic.
Many parents have lost their job during the pandemic. Sadly, that shows no sign of stopping. Your donation can bring relief to the millions worried about where their next meal will come from. It’s even worse for Latino and Black families, whose rates of nutrition insecurity have spiked to 25% and 30%. In the world’s wealthiest country, this is unconscionable.
Even before the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 37 million people in America struggled with hunger and nutrition. The Centers for Disease Control reports 76% of people killed by COVID-19 had at least one underlying condition, most of which were diet-related. Diet-related diseases also fuel skyrocketing health care costs, which rose from 5% to 28% of the federal budget in the past 50 years.
Let’s make the world better, kinder, brighter. Every dollar you give will create real change. $1 will feed 5 hungry children here in the US, but $1,000 will feed 50,000 starving children overseas. Be the good in the lives of many by giving right now.
Your generous support will help me continue to bring content to you.
AFFILIATION LINKS & COUPON
Toms: Get $20 off your first order at TOMS!
Door Dash: Get $30 off ($10 off each of your first 3 orders)
Uber: Sign Up to Ride. Use promo code
ic0b9 and get a free ride.
Grubhub: Sign Up and Enjoy. Get $10 off your first order
Ipsy: Sign Up to Get Curated Products to Your Door Step
Boxy Charm: Use referral code Munziba-VDPRPCII
Cause Box: Get $10 Off Your First Subscription Box
All About Me 