During military service, women often experience trauma in the form of sexual abuse or exposure to horrific events. Furthermore, the process of adjusting to civilian life and restructuring one’s career can be long and turbulent. These attributes of a veteran’s journey can result in severe depression if they are not managed with effective self-care practices.
Unfortunately, the dutiful lives of military personnel rarely promote the development of self-care rituals. Therefore, it is the task of veterans to create healthy routines that will carry them through a stressful adjustment period following their service.
At Women Veteran Social Justice Inc., we are committed to supporting our veterans in all aspects of life by providing the necessary resources to improve self-care skills. The following is a list of self-care activities that we offer to help improve the quality of life for veteran women.
Regardless of your experience in the military, leaning on a professional to address your mental health needs is one of the best ways to ensure ongoing success as you reintegrate into civilian life. Working with a therapist on a regular basis or seeking out medication for mental health disorders is the foundation for a healthy progression throughout life. By nurturing our mental health, we can then focus on forming new relationships, healing from trauma, and establishing a fulfilling new career.
Developing a yoga practice not only helps women improve their relationships with their bodies, but this form of gentle movement also creates space for a peaceful respite from the outside world. This is especially valuable to veteran women who are thrusted into civilian life where they are forced to start over after a meaningful career. Those who have suffered from sexual trauma may find themselves reconnecting to their bodies during yoga sessions, and healing painful emotions from their time in the military. To facilitate this incredible form of self-care for veterans, we offer yoga classes where women can connect with like minded individuals, and enjoy highly meditative sessions with professional instructors.
Art is an outlet that is commonly used by veterans to help release built-up tension and express oneself in a fun and creative setting. The U.S. military relies on structure, mental strength, and physical fitness. Art can be a highly therapeutic diversion from these values, which gives women a chance to hone in on a completely different skill set. By participating in artistic activities, veteran women are also able to explore new pathways which could inspire their next career move or exploration of new hobbies. From painting to pottery, there is no limit to the things women can create during this self-care activity. Here, veterans have the opportunity to bond with fellow women who may be new to the practice and share in this exciting learning experience.
One of our primary goals at Women Veteran Social Justice Inc. is to ensure that our veterans come home to a community where they have opportunities to connect with people going through a similar stage in life. Our wellness events incorporate a variety of veteran oriented self-care activities including the aforementioned services. Attendees do not only benefit from the activities themselves, but they also have a chance to speak to the women in our organization who have navigated their way through the difficult transition into civilian life. Our veterans often take comfort in surrounding themselves with people in a similar position, and seeing the positive changes that post-service life may bring.
We take pride in providing self-care activities for veterans. Make a donation to our organization today to help support these essential services.
