On Thursday, May 6, a sixth-grade girl is accused of entering Rigby Middle School and shooting three people. These people, two students and one janitor, are expected to recover. The event, however, was tragic and scary for most.
Cherity Woolf, a local therapist with High Country Behavior Health, said that everyone handles trauma differently. Some may recover quicker than others, but she said it is important to give yourself peace, love and kindness during this time.
“Trauma happens when we experience something where we think ourselves or someone we care about is actually in danger or we perceive they are in danger,” she said.
Woolf said, because of this, triggers can happen that cause people to feel anxiety and experience stress even after the event has happened.
She also shared some mindfulness exercises can help students and the community if this happens to them, and they are unable to see a counselor.
A few of these exercises include observing your breath, mindfully doing an activity and going to a calm place in your mind, using all five of your senses. Another exercise is called square breathing, which involves breathing in for three seconds, holding your breath for three seconds, breathing out for three seconds like you’re blowing out a candle, then holding your breath again for three seconds. Repeat the exercise three to five times.
“It’s so simple and it’s so easy to remember,” she said.
Wolf also emphasized that those who feel the experience is affecting their daily lives or preventing them from doing things they used to, they should seek professional help.