What strategies ensure your critical incident recovery plan is followed?

1 Identify your triggers

A trigger is anything that reminds you of the traumatic event and causes you to experience distressing emotions, thoughts, or sensations. Triggers can be external, such as sounds, smells, or images, or internal, such as memories, dreams, or feelings. Identifying your triggers can help you avoid or manage them, and prevent them from interfering with your CIRP. You can use a journal, a checklist, or an app to keep track of your triggers and how they affect you.

2 Seek support

You don't have to go through your CIRP alone. Seeking support from others can help you cope with the stress and trauma of a critical incident. You can reach out to your family, friends, colleagues, or community members who can offer you emotional, practical, or informational support. You can also seek professional help from a therapist, a counselor, or a support group who can provide you with specialized guidance and treatment. Support can help you feel less isolated, more understood, and more motivated to follow your CIRP.

3 Practice self-care

Self-care is the act of taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It can be helpful in reducing the negative effects of a critical incident and supporting a successful recovery. To practice self-care, you should get enough sleep and rest, eat healthy and balanced meals, drink enough water and avoid alcohol and drugs. Physical exercise and relaxation techniques can also be beneficial, as well as pursuing hobbies and interests that bring you joy. Additionally, it is important to set boundaries and express your feelings and thoughts in a healthy way.

4 Monitor your progress

Monitoring your progress can help you evaluate the effectiveness of your CIRP and make adjustments if needed. To do this, you could rate your stress level and mood on a scale of 1 to 10, complete a self-assessment questionnaire or checklist, review your goals and achievements, ask for feedback from your support network or professional helper, and celebrate your successes and reward yourself. These are just some of the tools and methods that can be used to monitor progress.

5 Be flexible and patient

Following your CIRP is not a linear or predictable process. You may encounter challenges, setbacks, or changes along the way. You may also experience fluctuations in your symptoms, emotions, and coping strategies. Therefore, you need to be flexible and patient with yourself and your CIRP. You need to accept that recovery is not a one-time event, but a gradual and ongoing journey. You need to adapt your CIRP to your changing needs and circumstances. You need to acknowledge your difficulties and strengths, and not give up on your CIRP.