Change can hurt in ways we don’t always expect. A sprained ankle reminded me recently that physical injury and emotional pain often need the same kind of healing attention.
I took a tumble—literally—and found myself applying the classic RICE protocol: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
While tending to my swollen ankle, I realized how similar this process can be for emotional healing—especially when facing an unexpected separation, like watching my son fly off to college in Amsterdam. My feelings linger just below the surface, ready to spill at the mention of his name. I’m past the flood of those early days, but I’m still learning to walk again—emotionally.
Here’s how I’ve been using RICE to help heal my heart:
🛏️ R – Rest
I’m learning to rest my heart.
Not avoid or numb—but pause. I allow myself to not do for a while.
I don’t try to fix my feelings or distract them away. I’m giving myself time to just be. Sometimes I lie on the floor and let the weight of the earth remind me I’m held.
❄️ I – Ice
When the pain swells, I cool it down with soothing rituals.
That might be a warm cup of tea, a long meditation, or wrapping myself in a blanket and watching a movie I’ve seen a hundred times.
I don’t try to analyze the emotions. I don’t ask them to shrink. I let cool stillness settle the inflammation of grief.
🤗 C – Compression
I’ve wrapped myself in support.
I stay close to friends who can hold space, even when I cry again for the third time in a row. I journal. I wear my son’s sweatshirt sometimes—like an emotional bandage.
Compression gives me shape and structure. I’m not falling apart—I’m containing my feelings with care.
🌅 E – Elevation
This might be the hardest, but also the most hopeful.
I try to elevate my perspective. I remind myself that this pain is proof of deep love. I imagine the strong, resilient people we are both becoming.
I gently lift my thoughts toward the future—toward who I’m becoming and how this stretch is growing both of us.
đź’› Final Thought:
Coping with change isn’t about staying strong or getting over it.
It’s about tending to your heart like you would a bruised limb.
Gently. Repeatedly. With compassion.
If your heart is tender too, maybe try a little RICE.
You’re not alone. đź’•
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