Healing From Narcissistic Abuse: 5 Relaxation Tips That Work

“When you’re happy, relaxed, and free of stress, the body can accomplish amazing, even miraculous, feats of self-repair.” ~Lissa Rankin

When you are healing from narcissistic abuse, you probably already know that it is important to eat well, exercise, develop better habits, and, if you can, to work with your coach or therapist on your recovery process. But one thing many of us forget is the importance of releasing our tension and taking time to relax. It’s so important to both your physical and mental health to find time to mindfully and intentionally relax on a regular basis. The fact is that narcissistic abuse does a real number on you.

To understand why this is so important, watch this video for more information on how narcissistic abuse affects your brain (and body).

5 Ways to Stay Relaxed During Narcissistic Abuse Recovery

Let’s talk about 5 important relaxation tips to utilize as you heal from narcissistic abuse.

1. Keep Stressors To A Minimum

Stress is a guaranteed part of everyone’s life. No one gets a pass. But, those of us who are actively trying to recover from narcissistic abuse are faced with a variety of added stressors, thanks to the abuse you may have suffered at the hands of a toxic narcissist and the after-effects of this trauma. So, if you are recovering from narcissistic abuse, you must do what you can to keep stressors to a minimum. This means delegating tasks if you are feeling overwhelmed. Or, for example, save yourself some time and have your groceries delivered, rather than running out each week. In any case, do your best to only focus on tackling 3 tasks a day if that is all you can handle. And prioritize what needs to be done. Don’t forget: you are going to need plenty of down time as you go through this healing process. You might like to check out this video on tapping to relieve stress and anxiety in narcissistic abuse.

And this video will help you learn how to relieve stress in the moment.

2. Get Plenty Of Sleep

You already know that the ideal amount of sleep to get each night is 7 to 8 hours. And you don’t want to oversleep either as that is just as dangerous as not sleeping enough. However, there are times when you will need an extra hour of rest here and there. Remember that your body is exhausted and stressed from enduring narcissistic abuse for so long. It is understandable that you would need extra rest. Try a nap during the day and try not to sleep for more than an hour. You may have trouble falling asleep at night otherwise. But if you need the extra rest, be sure to get it. This is really important, especially for survivors of narcissistic abuse, who may have been victims of sleep abuse.

See this video for more information about sleep abuse.

3. Schedule In Downtime

Just as it is important to schedule in the tasks you need to do in a day, you also must schedule in downtime. And be sure to do the things that relax you such as reading your favorite book, or laying in the hammock for an hour if you have one. You have a lot of unwinding to do! This will help you to reduce brain fog, a common side effect of narcissistic abuse.

Check out this video for more information on brain fog.

4. Find A Hobby

If you don’t have a hobby, it is important to find one and to get into it. The question is what is something that makes you happy? What calms you down? What are your passions? That is where it starts. Remember, you no longer have to deal with a narcissist talking you out of doing things you love. You may have to relearn what it is that you enjoy. Look into local classes as well that are relevant to the hobby of your choice. A hobby is a great way to begin to let go of the toxic relationship and start to develop unbreakable self-esteem after abuse.

Watch this video for more ways to develop unbreakable self-esteem after narcissistic abuse.

5. Socialize With Others

You probably were denied having a social life when you were with the narcissist. Now is the time to develop one. Join some groups. It is always relaxing and fun to hang out with some friends and to have dinner with the group. Socializing gives you that important downtime that you need.

If you’re struggling with social phobia or social anxiety as a result of narcissistic abuse, watch this video for tips on how to overcome it.