10 Ways to Deal with a Traumatic Event

“Are you guys alright?” the text said.

“Hon, please call me.” said the voice message.

I tried his number, no response. I looked at Facebook. What’s happening?

The military base closed because of an active shooting incident. I rushed to the TV, turned on the local news channel, and stayed there for six hours.

Enough! I needed to pull myself together and get some sleep. I couldn’t just sit there crying all the time, feeling compassion and concern for all those we knew on post. I couldn’t continue to worry if everyone I knew was alright. I couldn’t keep bringing up all the details of the traumatic events in my life. 

Pulling Ourselves Together

Most of us have gone through a traumatic event in our lives. Maybe car accidents, the death of a parent or a spouse deploying to war, medical emergencies, or natural disasters. Even another move to a new location often feels traumatic. 

How do we deal with those first few days of traumatic events?

First Order of Business

First order of business – stop crying! 

To stop crying, I turned off the TV and stopped watching the continual news of the account. I couldn’t continue to feed myself information about the event.

I needed to function again and not feel paralyzed by hearing the repeated stories of the incident. Even my head and my eyes hurt.

I had to move on. Here are ten ways I learned to deal with a traumatic event.  

10 Ways to Deal with a Traumatic Event

1. 1. Turn off the news if it makes you cry or upsets you.
   2. Get dressed, shower, fix your hair, and put on your makeup.
   3. Pick up the house– make the bed, do the laundry, put things away.
   4. Talk to someone about your feelings: your husband, a good friend, or your mom.
   5. Watch only as much news about the incident as you can without worrying or crying again.
   6. Get busy– keep up with as much of your everyday routine as possible.
   7. Find ways to distract yourself when your mind dwells on a tragic event.
   8. Pray- for those traumatized by the event– yourself, a family member, those you know, or your community.
   9. Sleep, eat, and pay the bills – most everything else will wait.
   10. Remember, God says He NEVER leaves us alone or forsake us. He is ALWAYS with us, ALWAYS listens, and ALWAYS is there to help us deal with the traumatic events of our lives.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. ~ Deuteronomy 31:6

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Joyce Zook

Featured Image by Fa Barboza on Unsplash

About the Author

Joyce Zook is an award-winning author, international speaker, and Board Certified Advanced Christian Life and Marriage Coach. She is a weekly video blogger and the author of 12 Keys for Marriage Success, Priorities for Life, and God and Your Closet. Joyce speaks, teaches, and coaches women to love their lives and their marriages while creating success and balance. In the last twenty years, her ministry has grown with the help of the internet, telephones, and video conferences to reach people across the United States and in foreign countries.

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