Positive Mental Health Is A Good Starting Point
For any health routine or exercise regimen to work, you must have a positive mindset, especially while recovering from an injury. It’s far too easy to be upset about your injury and mad at the thought of spending all this time getting through it, but negative thinking will make you feel worse and could lengthen your potential recovery time.
There are several ways that you can take care of your mental health after an injury, and a significant component is accepting what happened, understanding your emotions, and getting those negative thoughts out of your mind. Instead of leaving bad energy bottled up, get it out by journaling or channeling another form of creative expression, like art or creative writing. If you constantly dwell on your situation, you’ll never allow yourself to rest and heal fully.
Consider journaling before bed to get those feelings out and sleep soundly. Sleep is essential for the health of your immune system, and resting at night gives you more energy when you wake up to complete the exercises necessary to heal.
Setting realistic goals is also essential to take your recovery one step at a time. If you try to do too much and fall short, you’ll feel worse mentally and physically. Instead, set smaller goals, like walking a certain distance or doing a certain number of exercises. When you successfully reach your goal, you’ll feel better and be more prone to continue.
Find Ways To Heal
Continue to take your medication and follow doctor’s orders, and in the meantime, look into supplemental ways to feel better now and in the future.
For instance, if you’re dealing with injured muscles, look into massages to help you heal. Studies have shown that massage can help repair and strengthen muscles. Researchers tested the effectiveness of massage on mice, but the same principles apply to humans. Massage can produce mechanical pressure, reducing stiffness and increasing the range of joint motion. Massage can also help with muscle spasms. Go to an expert and request a deep tissue massage, and you can feel better than before.
While you may not want to overdo it, getting back into an exercise routine can help you to heal and keep your body in shape for the long term. Ease into your routine with low-impact exercise. These activities, like swimming, walking, and kettlebell training, get the blood pumping without putting a lot of stress on your body and skeletal system. Find ways to get around while not pushing or injuring yourself further, and you’ll feel better. Create an exercise routine that you enjoy, and it’ll be easier to continue even after your injury is healed.
You can enjoy exercise more by rehabilitating and spending time with friends. They can keep you motivated when you’re feeling down, and you can do the same for them. Plus, being social is good for your mental health. Spending time with others is essential so you can prevent the isolation that can often lead to depression or worse.
Preserve Your Health For The Long Term
While you’re healing and overcoming your injury, think about how you can plan your life accordingly to stay healthy and potentially avoid new injuries. One way to do that is to focus on your diet. Researchers have found a link between nutrition and injury recovery. In their studies, they found that many older adults who experienced a hip fracture were malnourished at the time. A solution was to supplement their diet with amino acids, which are vital to helping the body heal and repair muscles.
You can insert amino acids into your diet by adding complete proteins, which are foods like beef, poultry, eggs, and dairy. They can help you to heal now and keep your body strong for the future. Continue to preserve your health over the long term by including plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Aim for two to three cups of veggies and one-and-a-half cups of fruit to help you feel better and potentially add years to your life.
To continue your holistic healing for the long term, think about how you operate every day, especially when you’re at work. The value of ergonomics to avoid injury cannot be understated, especially if you sit all day. Start with the basics of sitting straight up or even slightly leaning back, but with your knees at 90-degree angles, so don’t hurt your back or neck. Also, make it a habit to get up out of your chair at least once every 30 minutes. Doing so will prevent stiffness, help you stretch, and provide a little exercise you may not have had otherwise.
Conclusion
It’s vital to take a holistic approach to your healing so you can recover from your injury and stay happy and healthy over the long term. Keep a positive mind frame throughout the process, take it slow, and you’ll feel better and inspire others to follow your lead.
