A Caucasian woman looking away and not listening to her black partner because hiding the pain doesn’t heal it | Photo by Clique Images on Unsplash

When hiding the pain doesn’t heal it, what are the things that you do to live a more authentic life?

Living an authentic life requires one to be honest, vulnerable, and willing to face life’s adversities. Hiding the pain doesn’t heal it, especially when you are deeply affected by it. There are a lot of challenges in life that you encounter. Some of these can hit you hard.

In Donald Welch’s The Love I Thought I Knew, a couple gets caught in a situation that deals with trust in their relationship. The story follows Karen and Calvin, whose relationship is on the verge of going down the drain. Hiding the pain doesn’t heal it. Steps to authentic living must be learned to keep the negative atmosphere away. The book is written in script form for a full-length play. This story explores themes of deception, hypocrisy, and falling out of love.

Getting out of a toxic relationship can be difficult and taxing as it affects your life. Here are steps to authentic living:

Acknowledge Your Pain

Hiding the pain doesn’t heal it. In order for you to heal from the pain, you have to first acknowledge it. You have to admit that you are feeling the pain. Does it affect you physically, mentally, or emotionally? The first step to acknowledging it is to be honest with yourself. Keeping the pain will worsen its effects. By acknowledging it, you can identify and take steps toward healing.

Identify the Source of Your Pain

So, what caused it? It is time for you to reassess the situation. Once you’ve acknowledged the pain, you will have a clear direction on what ways you can do to heal it. Yes, hiding the pain doesn’t heal it. You have to identify its source and stop its festering on your peace.

Allow Yourself to Feel

Remember about being honest? If you are honest with yourself, you allow healing to happen. With this, you are allowing yourself to feel more. Does the pain make you angry? Sad? Let yourself feel it because hiding the pain does not heal it. Being vulnerable with your feelings allows you to be stronger as you are keeping your emotions stable.

Express Yourself Honestly

Honesty is still the best policy. It does not only apply to a certain group setting; it also applies to you as an individual. If you are honest with yourself, you can allow your feelings to flow naturally. Hiding the pain doesn’t heal it, as it will make your situation worse. Express what you feel. Expressing your feelings will give you a sense of freedom, whether it’s a positive or negative emotion; thus, healing occurs.

Create Healthy Boundaries

Yes, it is a healthy way to express yourself honestly. However, you might also want to create a healthy boundary that gives you a safer space to express. So, who are these people who made you feel negatively? You can distance away from their toxicity and see for yourself the effects of this freedom. Hiding the pain doesn’t heal it. One way to let yourself express more freely is to get rid of the problem – the toxic people around you.

Practice Self-Compassion

One effective way to healing is being kind to yourself. Self-compassion allows you to accept what you can and cannot do. Hiding the pain doesn’t heal it because it will only affect the other aspects of your being. So, don’t judge yourself for feeling this pain. Instead, take your time feeling it to let yourself heal. And again, be kind to yourself.

Live with Intention

Your journey to healing is not always easy. Sometimes, it gives you the choice of ending an unhealthy relationship or leaving a job you are not passionate about anymore. In order for you to heal, you have to live with the proper intention. Start living without fear. Align it with your values. Once you have aligned everything, your emotional journey becomes easier as you walk your way to healing.

Accept the Uncertainty of Life

Life is always uncertain. You don’t know what’s going to happen on your journey. Sometimes, you encounter pain and happiness. Life is not perfect as well. You need to deal with everything you encounter on the way. Challenges can be difficult, too. Hiding the pain does not heal it, so you have to find a way to accept it and learn its ways. What you need to do is to face the challenges head-on and without fear.

Seek Support When Needed

Social support is important in your healing journey. If you feel pain, never forget to look for your people and seek their support. Your people will always be there and help you bring yourself back up. Hiding the pain doesn’t heal it, so go find the right people with whom you are comfortable sharing bits of your life.

In Donald Welch’s The Love I Thought I Knew, Karen and Calvin have their own support system when their relationship is getting through a strong storm. This ensemble of characters helps the protagonists unfold some secrets that unravel their fates.

Get a copy of The Love I Thought I Knew by Donald Welch to learn more about their story.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The healing journey is not always easy. You have to face the pain and uncertainties that should allow you to navigate your emotions. With this, embrace growth, be thankful, and be honest about what you feel.