Strategies for Coping With an Injury
Whether you’ve been injured at work, at home or in a car accident, your life probably seems like it has been turned upside down. You may not be coping overly well at the moment, but there are strategies you can use to help you get through this difficult time. Read on to learn about some of them.
Do Your Therapy
One of the ways you can cope with your injury is to make a commitment to your therapy. While you may balk at exercising because of the pain and inconvenience, physical activity is necessary for your recovery. You must rebuild your muscles, work your joints and continue to strengthen your body, and the only way to do this is to get up and move even when you don’t want to.
Find a Support Network
Physical stress isn’t the only thing you’re dealing with after you’ve been injured. Psychological and emotional stress can be just as debilitating. Therefore, you should find a support network to help you cope. At the very least, select a couple close friends or relatives who would be willing to serve as your sounding boards, people you can call just to talk and express your struggles and fears. Assure them that you aren’t really looking for advice, just a listening ear. Alternately, you might join a support group for people recovering from injuries. Here you can find others going through similar struggles. They can offer helpful tips and a lot of sympathy.
Manage Stress
As you recover from your injury, you must figure out ways to manage the inevitable stress that goes along with the process. Build a “toolbox” of techniques that you can turn to when the stress rises. Music therapy might be a good option here. Have a playlist of calming songs ready, and when the tension increases, sit back, and just listen. You might also learn meditation or guided breathing or even spend time on your favorite hobby. Comforting books and movies can also provide stress relief.
Treat Yourself Frequently
Life is tough right now, so be sure to take time to treat yourself. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to do this. A chat with a friend, an hour spent outside or a short nap might be just right. You could also visit a museum or art gallery, set aside an afternoon to go shopping or grab a favorite snack or drink from a coffee shop or ice cream parlor. Just make the effort to do something you enjoy.
Consult a Lawyer
Finally, you might be finding yourself in a legal conflict because of your injury. Perhaps your workers’ compensation isn’t coming through or your insurance company is causing problems. In that case, consult the best injury attorney you can find. Your lawyer will help you sort through the legal issues surrounding your injury, take care of the massive amounts of paperwork that may be piling up and deal with insurance claims. This can give you peace of mind.
An injury can wreak havoc in your life, and it can take time to fully recover. In the meantime, follow some of these ideas to help you cope.
