Time does NOT heal all wounds

"Time heals all wounds" is a common phrase that oversimplifies the complex process of healing. Emotions ebb and flow like ocean waves, and just as we can't rush the tides, we can't rush our feelings or the processing of them.

During a visit to the coast last week, I observed tide pools and realized that just as the tides move at their own pace, so do our emotional journeys. While time is a component of healing, it's not the sole factor. We need to actively engage with our emotions, processing and walking through pain to reach a place of healing. This requires a deliberate effort to understand our feelings, allowing them to surface and then dealing with them constructively.

Healing involves a delicate balance of insight, action, and time. Simply shelving our emotions and expecting them to resolve on their own is not enough. We need to break down our healing journey into manageable chunks—focusing on getting through a moment, a minute, or a day. This approach helps us handle the ebb and flow of emotions more effectively, acknowledging that healing is a gradual process. By actively working through our pain and giving ourselves the time to heal, we can move towards a more profound and lasting sense of well-being.

You Have A Right To Your Grief

How many of you have uttered the words, “It’s fine” when deep down there was no part of you that actually felt that way? Whether coping with a loss, dealing with the pain of recent wrongdoing, feeling burdened, isolated and hopeless, we have all done this.

We have hidden our pain, belittled our experience, and taken on the responsibility of maximizing harmony and minimizing distress in the world around us.

Why?

Because, as a society, we are incredibly grief averse.

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