July Newsletter: Staying in the Present Moment this Fourth of July

Good afternoon! I hope you are staying cool and dry in this summer heat. At the 10.27 Healing Partnership we’ve been preparing new public programming (like the “Photo Album Creating Day” and our “Coping in our Current World” group program) and keeping up recurring favorites, such as sound bathing and weekly yoga. Check the end of this email to see if there’s anything that appeals to you.

Since the Fourth of July falls at the end of this week, I wanted to take a moment to consider the potential emotions and experiences that loud celebrations bring up, particularly when it comes to fireworks or other explosives. First, I want to normalize that many people find these things to be destabilizing or reminiscent of past traumatic events. People from a variety of backgrounds and experiences often share in this discomfort, and we hope that during this weekend you don’t feel alone in this.

We recommend that you take some time before the holiday arrives to consider areas that may be potentially difficult for you. How do you anticipate spending your time while fireworks or loud celebrations are happening? If hard emotions arise, how might you attend to those feelings?

For some people, fireworks and participating in large crowds has always been important and joyful. If you hope to reclaim that experience, consider ways that people around you can support you in this. Can you let someone you trust know that you may be struggling? Could you utilize tools like sound-reducing headphones, or could you choose to watch the fireworks at a location where there are fewer people and you can feel more secure?

For others, fireworks and similar experiences might not be all that important to them. Since these things are not core to your daily functioning, we encourage you to find alternative ways of spending the weekend that make you feel fulfilled or excited. You could consider perhaps spending time in nature in an area with fewer Fourth of July festivities. However you spend your weekend, we hope to decrease the stigma around openly discussing the ways trauma plays into our lives in both small and big ways.

We recommend building a toolkit for yourself of ways to stay grounded in the here-and-now. It’s helpful to learn what works to remind you that you are in the current moment and not re-experiencing something from the past. Some people utilize mindful practices, physical sensations like the ground beneath their feet, a sour candy, or paying attention to their breathing. You can click here to see a list of potential grounding techniques you can try.

The 10.27 Healing Partnership will be closed on July 4th, but we will be open on July 3rd and we will reopen on July 7th. If you’d like to discuss your ideas for staying grounded or how the weekend went for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out.