Traumatic Experiences Community Daily Check-In: Sunday 7th June
hi lovely community! its so nice to see you here today. hope you are all doing well! 
the past few weeks have been extremely stressful, with all the current issues going on. How is it affecting you?
To keep myself calm in these times of stress, i lately have been trying out meditating and doing some yoga, which really helps with anxiety or stress, and even learned to practise gratitude! What are some things that help you keep your cool in times of stress? And what is something you are grateful for today?
of course these questions are optional , feel free to share whatever you want with us today. this is your safe space!
@AveryLove
I'm not too negatively affected by all the things going on. I'm honestly trying to remain close to myself, not worry too much about everything else in the world, my own issues are often more than enough. This way I try to stay calm.
And I'm grateful to be healthy and for some close friends
@Madaraismyspiritanimal hello! So lovely to see you in the check-in today, thanks for joining! I am glad to hear that it's not affecting you in too much of a negative way, and that you remain calm. It's awesome to hear that you have a good health and great friends in your life - thank you for sharing and I hope you have a lovely rest of the day.
@AveryLove
I have a few things that keep me calm in times of stress! :)
1) My guardians - they know everything there is to know about the things that I faced in the past, but still love me unconditionally. They adopted me, gave me a great life, and a great home. Spending time with them reminds me that even though life isn't always sunshine and rainbows, there's hope!
2) My girlfriend - my girlfriend and I have been together for 8 months and I can't begin to describe how much she means to me. We've had countless times when we had so much fun, when we laughed until we got stomach cramps, when we screamed so loud that we lost our voices, when we couldn't stop passing notes in class and got sideways looks from the teacher, and so many other amazing moments. But she's also been there for me when I was at my lowest. She's been there when I tried out for a school team and hadn't made it. She's been there when I played in a basketball state championship and we lost by one point. We've had each other's backs all along and I can't imagine it any other way.
3) My 4 year old brother - even though he's 12 younger than me, he's an inspiration. He's been seriously sick several times and he recovered every time and showed us who's the boss. He also has the purest and kindest heart and I love that about him. Another thing that I love about him is how he's so willing to take after me and learn to do anything he sees me do. That kid is going so far in life!
4) Basketball - I could go on for hours about how much being a basketball player means to me. But in a nutshell, the court is where I feel at home, a place where I have power, a place where skin color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and things like that don't matter. I mean, they do matter, but everybody's equal in that way and those things don't make you any better or worse of a player. It's my escape when I feel overwhelmed and stressed out. It's a system with clear rules, and a clear winner or loser unlike real life. You either win or you don't. And if you cheat, the whole team suffers.
@AveryLove
I listen to music in stressful times. I am grateful for my friends and family.
@AveryLove
1) Keep my cool. Music. Yoga. Kitty snuggles, long walk/hikes. Being outside. Candles. Coffee. Dance. Figure skating (once the rinks re-open). Working with animals. Sitting in nature. Organzizing/writing/reading.
2) I'm grateful for friends. The river. Sunshine. And my apartment.
