We often imagine healing to be a straightforward journey. One day you are hurt, and after some time of putting in the work, you are okay; linear. But the truth is, healing isn’t linear. There are moments when you will be fine and happy, and there are times when you will remember everything and feel down again. That is all part of the healing process.

Healing comes with its ups and downs. One day, you are feeling happy and fine, and the next, you feel like you have been tossed back to the beginning. You are not failing; it is all part of the process. It shows progress; it shows that you are making it and being better. Healing involves unlearning patterns that made you want to heal in the first place, and most times, they feel like you are starting from scratch. Healing is a gradual process, and it shouldn’t be rushed.

When it comes to healing, the real progress isn’t visible. It is an accumulation of little steps you take that makes you better, like pausing when you are triggered and logically looking at your emotions. That is progress that you are taking time to master, and that is what matters. You have to understand that healing starts with little steps; the little things you do that make you feel and be better. You will not become better overnight, but you will be better.

Even though you are healing and feel better, old things and memories can still trigger you. You might feel disturbed or distressed by something that hurt you. That is normal and okay. These triggers happen because, at that moment, that thing or person caused you pain. It’s okay to be triggered; you need to handle it better than before. Being aware that something triggers you shows that you are improving.

You heal, but you still have days when you don’t feel like doing anything. You feel so bad that you would rather stay in bed than get up and work. You have to understand that healing and pain can coexist, and that is okay. Pain and Progress can coexist, and that is okay. There will be bad days and good days, and that is fine.

Journaling and looking back at your old entries helps you confirm that you are better. I do this all the time. When you look at your old entries, you have physical proof that you are doing better. Progress isn’t linear. There are things you are healing from now that will come back years later, but that is okay because you have gotten through it before, and you can do it again.

You are not behind, you are where you are meant to be. This is all part of your story, and you will be fine. GOODLUCK!