Injuries are tough, whether minor or major, they provoke emotional responses which we need to address and support to fully heal. Expect your emotions to go up and down as you feel frustrated and hopeful at different times, try not to let the negative ones take over. Negative thoughts can lead to feelings of depression and create fear, that you will never heal and your body will never be the same again.
I want you to know that erasing those negative thoughts will not be something that you can do in an instant, but you can do it! Just like you can, and will, recover from your injury.
7 Easy Steps to Mentally Recover from an Injury
1. Understand How You Were Injured
Most of us know how we were injured. We either fall, trip or do something crazy and are not as safe as we could have been when we get injured. However, there are sometimes when injuries are unexplained. In those scenarios, you may need to seek a few answers, before you can fully understand how this injury happened. Understanding helps you realize that moving forward things will be different and you will not have this happen again. It gives you an empowered feeling and moves you towards letting go and focusing on what you can do now to heal.
2. Look Deeper Into How Your Body Patterns Helped Set Up Your Injury
When we get injured, it is usually because we have been adapting how we move our bodies. Instead of walking with excellent posture, you might bend over a little or you might turn one of your legs out due to muscle tension or weakness. There are hundreds of reasons why acknowledging your body patterns helps change them. The most important is that becoming more conscious allows you to be the driving force in your healing.
3. Take Care of Yourself and Talk to Friend and Family
We are all so busy taking care of other people that we simply do not seem to have any time to take care of ourselves! One of the easiest things you can do to speed up your recovery is to take care of yourself. Spend time doing things that you love and take the time to talk to friends and family too.
4. Do Something Every Day that Helps You Heal Physically
No matter where you are in your recovery, there is always something that you can do to help you heal physically. Early on, it may be releasing your muscles with the help of a ball or roller or doing a few small stretches in bed. Later on, it could be getting up and taking a short walk at least once a day. Towards the end, you will feel the ability to get back to your favorite workouts and activities. Find that one thing you can do, because it will help you see that you are making the process.
5. Rest When You Need to
This may be hard to believe, but you are not superman or superwoman! Therefore, you must rest when your body tells you to. If you feel tired, take a nap. If you feel slightly run-down, sit in a chair, read a book, or work on a small craft project. Anything that will keep you relaxed and off of your feet.
6. Learn How to Modify Movements so You Can Still Exercise and Do Many of the Things You Love
When you are injured, it can be difficult to do so many of the things that you love! However, a few small modifications could have you back to doing many of the things that you want to in no time at all. If you love to cook, you might need to start prepping meals at the table. When it comes to exercise, you may need to lift weights while sitting in a chair or have someone help you onto the exercise bike. The options are practically endless when it comes to modifications, you just need to keep your mind open.
7. See This as a Stepping Stone to Taking Care of Your Body Better
Now that you have seen what happens when you are injured, you should take this as an opportunity to take better care of your body. When you focus on your body more and take the time to release, stretch and strengthen it, you will prevent future injuries.
These seven steps are easy to do and they will help you change how you look at your injury and the recovery process. While you can do many of these on your own, the Conscious Movement Course will give you even more support throughout your healing process, as well as in the future. So, empower yourself today and truly see how bright your future can be!