special thanks to the friends and family who made this possible... by needing it so badly. Jk. Love you guys <3
This workbook is designed to help you develop a stronger sense of self-efficacy and build resilience in the face of trauma.
Self-efficacy is the belief in your own abilities to handle challenges and achieve your goals. It is an important part of overall mental and emotional well-being, and can help you navigate difficult situations with confidence and clarity.
Trauma, on the other hand, is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that can have long-term effects on your mental and emotional health. It can leave you feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and disconnected from the world around you.
This workbook will provide you with tools and strategies to develop a stronger sense of self-efficacy and build resilience in the face of trauma. By working through the exercises and activities in this book, you will learn to:
1. Identify your Boundaries
2. Set realistic goals and work towards achieving them
3. Develop healthy coping mechanisms
4. Build a support network of friends, family, and professionals
I hope this workbook will be a helpful resource on your journey to building self-efficacy and dealing with trauma. Remember, you are strong and capable, and you can overcome any challenge that comes your way.
trauma• any experience that causes psychological, emotional, or physical harm
introspection• the process of examining one’s own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is a form of selfreflection that involves paying attention to one’s inner mental and emotional states, and it is often associated with self-awareness and mindfulness. 1. learn the different kinds of trauma
identify personal trauma
create a “plan of attack”
oh boy here we go
Trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that can have long-term effects on a person’s mental and emotional health. It can be caused by a single event, such as a natural disaster, a car accident, or a physical assault, or it can be the result of ongoing, chronic stress, such as living in a war-torn region or experiencing abuse or neglect. Trauma can leave a person feeling overwhelmed, helpless, and disconnected from the world around them, and can have lasting effects on their mental and emotional well-being.
Trauma is a broad term that refers to any experience that causes psychological, emotional, or physical harm. There are many different types of trauma, including physical trauma, emotional trauma, psychological trauma, and sexual trauma. Physical trauma is caused by a physical injury or harm, such as a car accident or physical assault. Emotional trauma is caused by a psychological or emotional experience, such as a traumatic event or a significant loss. Psychological trauma is caused by a traumatic event that affects a person’s mental health, such as a natural disaster or a violent crime. Sexual trauma is caused by a sexual experience that is unwanted or non-consensual, such as sexual assault or sexual abuse.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to overcoming trauma, as each person’s experience and coping mechanisms are unique. However, there are some general steps that can help someone recover from trauma and move forward. These may include:
• seeking support from friends, family, or a mental health professional;
• engaging in self-care activities such as exercise, relaxation techniques, and getting enough sleep;
• practicing healthy coping mechanisms, such as talking about the experience, writing about it, or using art or music to express emotions.
ask yourself: is there anything holding me back right now from growing?
There are many different exercises that can help individuals address and manage their emotions. Some examples include:
• Journaling: Writing about one’s thoughts and feelings can be a helpful way to process and understand them.
• Mindfulness meditation: Focusing on the present moment and one’s breath can help calm the mind and reduce stress.
• Deep breathing: Taking slow, deep breaths can help to relax the body and calm the mind.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: Tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups can help to reduce tension and promote relaxation.
• Visualization: Imagining a peaceful and calming scene can help to reduce stress and promote relaxation.
• Expressing emotions through art or music: Using art or music to express emotions can be a healthy way to process and release them.
• Exercise: Physical activity can help to reduce stress and improve mood.
It is important to find the exercises that work best for you and to practice them regularly in order to see the greatest benefit.
basically write all your feelings and justifications here. get it all out.
yeah i figured you’d need more pages
boundaries -
• the limits we set for ourselves in relationships and interactions. They help us define what is and is not acceptable in terms of behavior, communication, and respect.
responsibility• the willingness to take ownership of our actions, decisions, and their consequences
self efficacy• how well you believe you can do something 1. learn what kind of boundaries are appropriate
develop new healthy boundaries
recognize unhealthy boundaries
Boundaries are the invisible lines that help us know what is okay and what is not okay in our relationships and interactions with others. It can be often mistaken for setting rules for another person, but as Cloud and Townsend write in their book ‘Boundaries’, “If you continue to blame other people for “making” you feel guilty, they still have power over you, and you are saying that you will only feel good when they stop doing that. You are giving them control over your life. Stop blaming other people.”
Boundaries are our own and are not meant to be used to control or manipulate others. They are about setting healthy limits for ourselves and protecting our own well-being. We have the right to set boundaries that reflect our own needs and values, and it is important to communicate them clearly and directly to others. However, it is not our responsibility to make others follow our boundaries or to control their behavior. Instead, we should focus on enforcing our own boundaries and taking care of ourselves.
some examples of good boundaries are
• Saying no to a friend who wants to borrow money and explaining why you are not comfortable lending money
• Setting a limit on the amount of time you spend with a toxic family member and sticking to it
• Asking a romantic partner for space and time alone when you need it
• Telling a coworker that you don’t want to discuss personal topics during work hours
Poor boundaries are often harder to identify, but they revolve around two types of individuals
• those who take on too much responsibility for others’ emotions and actions
• those who expect others to take on too much responsibility for their own emotions and actions
If you continue to blame other people for “making” you feel guilty, they still have power over you, and you are saying that you will only feel good when they stop doing that. You are giving them control over your life. Stop blaming other people.
-Excerpt from ‘BOUNDARIES’, co-written by Henry Cloud and John Sims Townsend
When a person believes in their own ability to cope with and overcome difficult situations, they are more likely to feel confident in standing up for themselves and setting limits with others. This can help to prevent them from being taken advantage of or mistreated, and can foster healthier and more fulfilling relationships. In addition, having a sense of self-efficacy can help individuals to recognize and address any negative patterns or behaviors in themselves that may be compromising their boundaries, such as people-pleasing or lack of assertiveness. Overall, self-efficacy can be a powerful tool for strengthening boundaries and promoting healthy relationships.
If (a situation where a boundary is set) (list how you will react, taking Then I will responsibility for your own actions )
boundary template
what are some areas where your boundaries have been overstepped?
how can you be more responsible for your own boundaries? does ‘believing hard enough’ actually work?
EXAMPLEs:
If my mom drops by again without calling
Then I will
Not let her in the door, and tell her it isnt a good time to visit.
Your turn:
If If
Then I will
Then I will
If
Then I will
create three new boundaries you can use to reinforce your mental health
grief -
•
•
learn what makes up grief
Grief is a feeling of sadness that we have when someone or something we love is lost or dies. It’s a natural reaction to loss, and it can be a very strong emotion. It’s okay to feel sad when you’re grieving, and it’s important to talk about your feelings and remember the good times you had with the person or thing you’re grieving for. Some people might cry, or feel very tired or upset. It’s important to let yourself feel your grief, and to take care of yourself while you’re going through it.
Ultimately, grief is a highly personal experience, and how it is experienced and expressed can vary greatly from person to person.
Grief is not just limited to the death of a loved one. In fact, grief can be experienced in response to any significant loss, such as the end of a relationship, the loss of a job or home, or the loss of a cherished possession. The key characteristic of grief is that it is a response to a sense of loss or separation from something or someone that was important to us. This can include not only the death of a loved one, but also other types of losses that can have a profound impact on our lives.
A healthy grieving process might involve a range of emotions and behaviors, including:
• allowing yourself to feel the pain and sadness that come with Loss
• Engaging in activities that help you to remember and honor the person or thing you have lost, such as creating a memorial or participating in a ritual
• Talking about your feelings and experiences with others who are understanding
• Seeking support from professionals, such as therapists or support groups, if needed
• Taking care of yourself physically and emotionally, such as by getting enough rest, eating well, and engaging in activities that you enjoy
• Finding healthy ways to cope with your grief, such as through exercise, writing, or Art
It is important to note that there is no one “right” way to grieve, and that everyone’s grieving process is unique. What is most important is that you allow yourself to experience your grief and take steps to care for yourself during this difficult time.
A grief unobserved
introspect: is there anything that i am not allowing myself to grieve?
Arguably, allowing yourself to grieve your trauma is one of the most important steps to growing past it. It helps to visualize grief as if it were a ball in a room with a button.
in this illustration, the concept of grief is rerpesented by a large ball in a cramped room with a button. The ball moves around, but whenever the button is pressed, the same weight of emotions comes flooding each time.
As time goes on, Grief (the Ball) gets smaller and smaller, becoming more manageable and easier to deal with, but whenever it hits the button, the same weight of emotions flood again. The grief doesn’t stop, but the emotions flood less and less.
Grief never truly goes away, but it gets smaller and more managable as time passes. The weight of the emotional flooding is still the same whenever the ball hits the button, but the time in between those waves lessens.
Example: I am grieving lost friendships, and their impact on my life.
what will i do when i find myself overwhelmed with grief?
what are some areas that you might be grieving now? develop a plan of action:
and are critical components in the process of healing from and managing
By taking the time to reflect on our
we can gain a better understanding of ourselves and our experiences. This deeper insight allows us to develop the and skills necessary to the challenges of trauma and grief, and ultimately to find
Thank you for choosing to work through this workbook on self-efficacy, grief, boundaries, and trauma. I hope that you have found the exercises and activities within these pages to be helpful and thought-provoking. As you have worked through this book, I hope that you have begun to develop a greater sense of self-awareness and control over your own emotions and experiences.
Grief and trauma can be difficult and overwhelming experiences, but I believe that by developing a sense of self-efficacy, you can begin to heal and move forward in your life. Remember that healing takes time and patience, and that it is normal to have good days and bad days. Don’t be afraid to seek support from friends, family, or a mental health professional if you need it.
I wish you the best on your journey towards healing and personal growth.
As much as others may need to change, or we may want them to change, the only person we can continually inspire, prod, and shape—with any degree of success— is the person in the mirror.
-Excerpt from ‘crucial conversations’, written by Joseph Grenny
co-written by Henry Cloud and John Sims Townsend
written by C.S. Lewis
written by Joseph Grenny
written
co-written
by Caitie McAneney
by Lucy o’Brian and Matthew Soteriou
is designed to help individuals develop self-efficacy, introspection, and resilience in the face of trauma. It includes a range of activities and exercises that can help individuals identify and challenge their limiting beliefs, develop a greater understanding of themselves and their experiences, and build the skills and confidence they need to overcome adversity. Through a combination of journaling, self-reflection, and practical tools, this workbook provides a supportive and empowering guide for individuals who are seeking to heal and grow after experiencing trauma.
