This project shows data visualization I used to reflect on my healing process and find closure after a traumatic event. I recorded the literal number of steps I took before and after the event and the meaningful memories I formed in its aftermath. I transferred this data into a bag to symbolize my healing and closure.
When any traumatic or sad event happens to us, we have two choices: either strive to heal or surrender ourselves to the arms of rumination and be devastated. Of course, it is normal to experience a shock and let ourselves go for a while when we first encounter the event. However, afterward, it is very important for our mental health to prepare an action plan for ourselves and act accordingly.
Such an incident happened to me that truly shook me to my core. I felt a pain so intense that I was forced to choose one between healing or surrender. I am pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology and I knew if I closed in on myself and went through the process in this way, it would be very harmful to both my mental and physical health. Before this article progresses, I should mention that I will intentionally avoid detailing the specific event that happened to me, as it is more important to focus on how I processed the grief caused by it. The steps I took during this time can be applied to any situation that causes intense pain, such as earthquakes, losses, etc.
As one of my initial steps, I started keeping a diary a few days after the incident. This was important to me for two reasons: first, my journal was a partner in commiseration I could reach whenever I wanted to; second, if one day I fully recovered from the impact of the event, this diary would give me retrospective information about how I managed the process. In fact, it was like collecting qualitative data about my own life. I remember my tears falling on the table in the first weeks while writing. During that period, I started to write down my feelings, emotions, and disappointments, as well as new memories that I had just started to collect.
The second important step I took was to socialize more and start participating in activities I had continuously postponed before the event. As I mentioned, I was feeling pain so intensely that I needed to channel this emotion into something in a healthy way. In fact, it was a catalyst for me; I was in so much pain that I felt I had nothing left to lose, so I started trying everything on my list—being involved in the development of two game designs, tutoring low-income students voluntarily, attending social events, making new friends, etc.
The third step I took was to start my day by getting up before sunrise to go for a walk, taking more walks every chance I could throughout the day. This was a very powerful way for me to channel my pain. In the first weeks, there were times when I walked about 34,000 steps a day. Along with the steps I took, my tears also flowed. I could track all these walking performances using an app on my phone.
As the days and weeks passed like this, I noticed that the pain I felt gradually transformed into a sense of fulfillment. Slowly, as the effect of the event faded, I started to look back on the past and say, “there was something good in it after all.” It became clear that I needed to bring closure to the event. Of course, just as the effect of the event did not pass all at once, achieving closure wasn’t instantaneous, either. While there was very little time left before I completed my Ph.D., I decided to bring closure to the event within myself by visualizing the quantitative and qualitative data I had gathered about myself up to that moment. I would have the closure through data visualization.
For the visualization, I made the bag—the picture of which you will see below. The bag consists of two parts: (1) the number of steps I took while recovering from the impact of the event and (2) the physical objects associated with new memories I formed and received from events I attended, new friends, etc.
In the end, we are all human, and as a part of being human, painful and sad events happen to all of us. This is an unavoidable reality of life that we can’t control. What is partly in our control and willpower is how we react to them. If the time is used wisely after sad and shocking events, it is a wonderful occasion for personal growth. I feel much more peaceful and mature compared to myself about a year ago. This data visualization project helped me a lot to reflect on my healing and growth over time and have closure. I hope what I shared is helpful to everyone who reads this article.
I hope to have many more days with data visualization!
Zehra Unal
Zehra is interested in learning, memory, and cognition. She uses her background in psychology, neuroscience, and education to design engaging, innovative, and data-driven learning activities and assessments for children. She enjoys exploring various data visualization tools and techniques to make her work more impactful.
