You know that saying “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”? Well, in my experience, that’s only about 45% true. The rest depends on how we navigate the road to recovery after facing a tough blow, like, say, a break-in. If you’ve recently experienced this, first off, I’m sending virtual hugs. Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter and chat about getting back on your feet emotionally.
Dealing with the initial shock
Bam! You come home to find your window smashed, your possessions gone, and your peaceful space violated. The first wave that hits you? Shock. You feel like you’re starring in a bad movie, and it’s an experience no one should ever go through. My advice? Take a moment. Give yourself time to let the situation sink in. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. This isn’t an everyday occurrence (thank heavens!) and it’s natural to feel a tad… shell-shocked.
Make it safe
Once you are over the initial body blow that is discovering your home has been violated, one thing that can definitely help you back on the rod to recovery is doing whatever you can to make your space, and yourself, feel safe again. This could mean calling in the best locksmith in the area to change and fortify your locks, arranging to have a smart alarm system fitted or simply getting some advice from local law enforcement. The safer you can make your home feel the easier it will be to start healing from the horrible thing that has happened to you.
Embrace the tsunami
After the initial shock, comes the tsunami of feelings, fear, anger, and sadness can hit you like a whirlwind and leave you feeling like you don’t even know who you are anymore. It’s like you’ve suddenly become an unwilling host to a chaotic emotional house party. First rule of recovery? Don’t try to shut it down. When something like this happens, it’s always best to let yourself feel exactly how you feel no matter how uncomfortable, those feelings may be because the sooner you process them the sooner you can overcome them and get back on the road to being who you were before the break-in.
Remember you are not alone
You are not the first person to have experienced a break-in and sadly you are unlikely to be the last. But, it’s not all doom and gloom because, the fact that other people have experienced what you are going through right now means that you have people you can lean on when you are struggling.
Join a support group, or talk to friends and family who have experienced burglaries in their past and you will tap into a well of wisdom, that if you drink from it, will give you a roadmap to recovery. And, of course, it’s always comforting to simply get it out there and share how you are feeling with your favorite shoulder to cry on.
Transform fear into action
Once the initial tidal wave of emotions subsides, you might be left with an undercurrent of fear. You may be scared that someone else will come into your home and invade your space, or you might worry that next time it could be worse, but when these thoughts come into your mind, it’s always a good idea to flip the script and turn that fear into action. Talk to a therapist, carry out a check on your security, or join a support group where you can help other people through their own break-in recovery and make something positive out of your predicament.
Practice mindfulness
If you are finding it hard to get over the violation of your space, and that is perfectly normal, one thing that could help you is the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is an ancient mental health practice that helps you to stop dwelling on the past and learn how to live more in the moment. It’s a simple enough thing to learn, and usually involves little more than focusing on your breath rather than your thoughts, but it can give you the headspace you need to move on once and for all.
There is no right and wrong way to move on from a burglary, but the above tips have been tried and tested and will certainly help yo on your way, so if you are struggling with the impact of a break-in, it may be well worth your time to give them a try, but take it easy on yourself!
