5.5.2 Physical Self-Care

When planning for the physical self-care of the survivor, encourage them to think about a time when they felt physically healthy and ask them the following questions:

1. At that time, how were they sleeping? Did they have a sleep ritual or a nap pattern that made them feel more rested?

2. What kind of food were they eating? What meals made them feel healthy and strong?

3. What kind of exercise did they enjoy? Were there particular activities that made them feel more energized?

4. Did they have certain routines to start and end the day that made them feel good?

Helping the survivor to remember these and decide to pursue these behaviors can help them cope with the intense emotions and after-effects of trauma.