Finding the Silver Lining After an Injury
By Donna Stark
If you like to stay active and look forward to your daily workouts, an injury that sidelines you can certainly make everything seem gloomy. You can't do what you want, you have to deal with pain, and you're constantly exhausted from the recovery process. Adversities like these will often take down the best of us, but if you can stay emotionally and mentally strong while your body heals, you may come out better for it!
The Silver Lining
Remember when you were a kid, your mom would always tell you to look for the silver lining? It was good advice then and it still applies today. Nothing can stop you if you have a positive attitude and some extra motivation during times of trouble, so don't let an injury break your spirit. Find the silver lining with the following suggestions.
- Practice gratitude - Finding things to be grateful for, no matter how insignificant they may seem, goes a long way to creating a positive attitude. Some things to think about include the people who are caring for you, the opportunity to learn new things about your body, or the chance to slow down in your life for a bit.
- Control what you can - You may not have been in control of your injury, but you are definitely in control of your recovery. Make sure you commit to the treatments, show up for all your appointments, get the rest your body needs, and always, give it all you've got!
- Spread your wings - Your injury may have you out of the game for a couple of weeks, but that doesn't mean you can't work on other parts of your body in the meantime. Take advantage of the time you have now to improve and strengthen those areas.
- Try something new - Why not use this forced timeout to enjoy some of your other passions? Have you pushed your hobbies to the side because you've become so busy with everything else? Have you been wanting to learn something new but haven't found the time to do so yet? Well, here's your chance!
- Set goals - If you just want to get back to what you used to be able to do, then it may be helpful if you set some goals for your recovery process. There is nothing more motivating than seeing yourself get back to your normal routine. Setting goals may even get you there quicker!
You Can Do It!
Go ahead and cry if you have to, but then pull yourself together and get to work! Finding the silver lining in any injury might seem like a huge challenge, but with your mental toughness and the love from those who care for you, it won't take long for you to overcome this setback.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Sunset Hills, Mo.