There are several kinds of injuries that a person could get, but the thing that they all have in common is the mental distress they put you through. Of course, this varies by the severity of the injury, how long it takes the person to full recovery, or if he ever will. Also, there are other losses like medical bills and legal expenses that could be high depending on the type of lawyer you’ll need. For instance, if the injury is caused by a shooting, you’ll need to hire a shooting victim lawyer to defend your case.
The recovery process can be frustrating and triggering if the injury was caused due to a hard situation. It makes the person feel like they’re not in control of their lives anymore, especially if they need support to do regular activities. Coping mentally with a phase like this takes strength, and here are some tips to help you get through.
1) Stay in the present moment
It is understandable that you would think about the future and how the injury will impact you. If you are passionate about a specific sport, it is hard not to think if you will ever play it again. And even if you do, will you be able to keep up the same performance? These questions will keep coming to your head and might cause serious stress.
The best thing you can do is to focus on the present moment and do as much as you can to recover. Remind yourself that overthinking issues won’t fix them–it might even make them worse. Stress has negative effects on your body that might even affect the healing process. So, focus on what is in front of you now because that is the only certain thing.
2) Make use of your time off
The time you take off from resuming your regular activities, whether it is work, sports, or both, can come with its own benefits. You can take that time to focus on something else other than the injury–to take your mind off of things. Maybe you wanted to work on a personal project and never had the time to do it, wanted to learn a new language, or read about things. You don’t have to do it if you don’t feel like it, but if it makes you feel better, then definitely get started on something.
3) Embrace the recovery
Sometimes taking time off training will make you come back even stronger. You might have never given your body some rest and it is time to do so. The time you take off isn’t lost, it comes with its own value.
4) Accept how you’re feeling
One thing that has been increasingly popular these days is negative optimism–which is the encouragement to stay optimistic even if you don’t feel like it. Letting your feelings flow however they are good for you because even if they are negative, they probably won’t last forever. So, why try to run from them? Going through an injury isn’t an easy thing, and there’s no running away from the negative feelings by tricking yourself into fake optimism. You will go through stages, and it is important that you acknowledge and accept your feelings through every one of them. After all, it won’t rain forever.
5) If you need help, ask for it
As mentioned, going through an injury can be traumatic. Especially if it is from a car accident, shooting, etc… these types of accidents might result in significant trauma to the people who have been through it. If you try to ignore it, it can slow your recovery, mentally and physically. Even if you have fully recovered, you might not be able to resume your regular daily activities because of the trauma stored in your body.
The best thing you can do is to ask for help early on, even if you’re not feeling serious effects yet. A professional will guide you and help you to mentally recover from this traumatic event so you don’t have long-term effects.
6) Control the things you can
You might feel like you have zero control over your life, but that is not true. Even though some things have changed and you’re not likely to continue your normal routine, there are still a few things that you can control. You can add some structure to your life by putting together a new routine–have a set sleep cycle, start new habits like journaling, try to make more nutrient-dense meals, and plan time for your personal projects or rest if you don’t feel like working on any.