What do you do when the pain is too much to handle?  When people come into counseling that are hurting, their first question is, “How do I release this pain I am feeling?”  They are looking to me to help them feel better.  Unfortunately I cannot take their pain away, even though I wish I could.  Some people release their pain in very unhealthy ways; I try and give them healthy alternatives.  Here are a few tips to help release some of the pain you may be feeling.  

• Paint
  • Get a big piece of paper and paint out your emotions.  Have each emotion represent a color and paint it.  Put your pain on paper.  
• Sculpt
  • Create something that represents how you feel.
• Exercise
  • Go for a run, walk or hike and listen to music.
• Listen to music
  • Play that one song on repeat that helps you feel all the emotions you need to feel.  Sing, Scream, Cry, Laugh along with the music.
• Go to a kickboxing class
  • Or just get a punching bag.  Release that anger, hurt and pain.  Leave it at the gym.  Put that pain in that punching bag.
• Dance
  • Jump, dance, move around and release that pain.  Watch it leave your body.  
• Journal
  • Journal however is best for you.  Write down words that describe your pain.  Write a story.  Tell your pain to your journal.  

The list can go on.  You find what works best for you.  Anything involving art is powerful.  Put your heart and soul into your art project.  Put all of your pain in it, and then look at it.  I bet it will look beautiful, it might be a beautiful mess but it will be beautiful.  Beauty comes out of pain.  We can’t always see it when we are going through it but once you get through it you will see the beauty.  Be proud of your art.  Find the beauty in it.

Wherever or however you decide to release your pain, release it.  Leave it.  Let that punching bag absorb your pain so you don’t have to.  Let your journal hold your pain so you don’t have to.  You don’t have to do this alone.  Try some of these things mentioned above and come here to New Hope.  We can help you navigate your way through this pain.