Some of us may have gone through situations in our lives which make us feel that we will never be the same again. At moments, it might feel like you have lost a part of yourself and that you would never feel whole again. This might be a hard space to come out of, but have hope that you will heal and that things will become better.

Your life is not to be defined by any specific incident or a few incidents alone; it is something that has happened to you. You and your life are so much more than those incidents. Do not let other people or their actions define your life ahead.

With the sincere hope and belief that healing is possible with time, here are a few things you can do during your healing journey. Remember these and try to practice them as much as you can.

• Don’t blame yourself – If someone has hurt you, it is not your fault. It is not because of something that you did or did not do. It is because the person who hurt you wanted to hurt you or because of their shortcomings.

• Accept the situation – The first step to healing is acceptance. Accept that it happened to you; accept your present situation. As a next step, you may think of possible solutions to help you overcome your situation and move on. It may take time but the right solution(s) will come to you.

• Be the captain of your own life – You have a beautiful life ahead of you. Do not let someone else direct your life. Take control of your own life and be grateful for everything that you have to look forward to.

• Live well – Living well is the best gift you can give yourself. You need to believe that you deserve it. Do it every day and it will become a habit. What happened is only a small part of your life, you still have enough time to many happy, ever-lasting memories. Do the things that you love and are passionate about.

• Look for inspiration – Instead of suppressing your feelings, look for ways to navigate through them safely. To start with, you may try to read stories of others who have moved forward through adversities, self-help books or listen to music or watch movies that inspire you.

• Be wary of triggers – Sometimes, some places or people or music might be triggering. Be mindful of how you feel when you come face-to-face with them. It might be counter-productive to your healing journey if you face them too soon and if you are not ready. So, try to do what is right for you and take your time to do it.

• Reach out for help – Remember that help is always available. You should not be afraid to ask for it. There might be threats or taunts but do not let it stop you. The person threatening you is afraid that you would seek help and get it. That’s why they try to chain you with fear. Break the chain of fear, and you break the control that anyone has over you.

• Find strength to face challenges – There might be many challenges to your healing journey. Find strength within yourself to face them. Do not let discouraging words and emotions of others impede your progress.

• Pamper yourself – Make sure that you have enough time for self-care. Pamper yourself mentally, physically and emotionally.

• Empower yourself – You have gone through a difficult incident and you survived. It is no small feat. Know that you are strong for it. Empower yourself with survivor stories and positive thoughts.

• Your mental health matters – Just as we go to the doctor if our body is unwell, we need to seek support if our minds need it too. Seek counselling support if you need to.

• Move forward – Healing is a journey. What matters is the path and not just the destination. Try to move forward but make sure that the path you are taking is helping you feel better. Good music, travel, books, writing; for different people, it is different paths. Find your own and move forward. Baby steps, that’s all you need.