A few weeks ago, I experienced a day when the earth seemed to crack open and swallowed me.

The news I received over the phone left me bereft.

At that moment, I knew my future was different, and the person on the other end of the phone would need me in an additional capacity than we had never experienced.

I imagine lots of you have had these moments.

A sudden death, a medical diagnosis, a horrible car crash, a miscarriage, losses so significant the impact from them can be felt for years and maybe even a lifetime.

How do we begin to comprehend fully and cope with these traumatic blows?

It depends on the way our nervous systems have set themselves up to manage our overwhelm.

My old trauma cycle patterns would have sprung into fixing action.

While that is not necessarily the worst response, I would have spent days feeling helpless, emotionally stretched, and created drama.

Since healing many of my past traumas, I could now sit with the news and breathe in and out.

I asked for processing time and turned to people I trusted. I slowly developed a plan for managing what I could foresee coming, and the rest I let go.

Now that I am not stirred up in my patterns, but I can be thoughtful in my reactions and attentive to others' needs.

How do you respond when something overwhelms you?

What is your typical response to big things life throws at you?

Is it one you would like to change or shift slightly?

When we understand our patterns and how they have suited us in the past but no longer do, we can create new ways of responding to life's big challenges.

If life has sent you to a place of overwhelm due to a significant grief or loss, come and sit.

Sitting in a safe place where you are seen, heard, and allowed to express yourself will help start shifting how you handle overwhelming situations.

Free Somatic Therapy consultations are always available.