Dealing with an injury can be quite stressful, especially when you’re in serious pain. It’s hard not to worry about how long it’s going to take to recover, how much money you’ll lose by taking time off work, and in some cases, if you can return to work at all. Although feeling stressed out is normal, it’s not a good state to be in for long periods of time.
The longer you allow yourself to feel stressed, the harder it will be to heal. Stress will put your nervous system into fight or flight mode, which will flood your body with cortisol and adrenaline. If left unchecked, these two hormones can have a detrimental effect on your body by prolonging your healing, among other negative effects.
If you find yourself mentally stressed following an injury, here’s how to keep yourself in a more positive state of mind.
1. Hire an attorney to handle your legal battles
The first thing you should do is hire a personal injury attorney to handle the legal aspect of your case, if you have one. If you haven’t filed a lawsuit, consider it an option because it’s the best way to get compensated for your injuries. Having an attorney working for you will eliminate the stress of navigating the legal system, not to mention the stress of having to negotiate your own settlement. A lawyer will do everything for you, and that will give you peace of mind.
Having a lawyer fight for you in court will also keep you from worrying about how you’ll pay your bills. Medical and household bills pile up fast when you’re injured and unable to work, and it’s stressful worrying about having to go into debt to take care of yourself. Debt has an incredibly negative impact on mental health, and the possibility of taking on more debt just to survive can skyrocket anxiety. However, with an attorney, there’s a chance you’ll get compensated for your medical bills along with lost wages and possibly pain and suffering.
2. Meditate daily
Although simple, meditation is one of the easiest and fastest ways to reduce stress and reclaim your inner peace. You don’t need to sit on a special cushion or contort your body into a full lotus position to benefit from meditation. All you need is a quiet space where you can sit upright, close your eyes, and breathe in deeply. If you can do that, you can meditate.
The general idea is that when you sit down to meditate, you’ll close your eyes and take a series of deep breaths to calm your nervous system and mind. Once you feel like you’re more present, then you can either focus on nothing and allow your thoughts to float away, or you can choose something to focus on specifically, like an image in your mind or a specific mantra. Some people prefer guided meditations, and that can be helpful, too. It also doesn’t hurt to use a guided meditation while you fall asleep.
3. Avoid nervous system stimulants
While you’re healing from your injury, your nervous system needs time to rest. Avoid eating foods that stimulate the nervous system, like onions, and avoid drinking beverages that contain caffeine, like energy drinks, tea, and coffee. You might be surprised to see how much of a difference it makes when you don’t consume stimulants. If you’re always drinking coffee or energy drinks, for example, you might not even realize how it’s affecting your nervous system until you pause.
Instead of drinking your go-to caffeinated beverages, replace them with gentler options, like water, freshly squeezed orange juice, and decaffeinated herbal tea, like chamomile. If you don’t like hot tea, many herbal teas taste great on ice, especially orange spice.
4. Engage in relaxing activities
Find things to do that make you feel relaxed and at ease. Some people find peace in knitting, crocheting, or crafting. Others find it relaxing to watch a movie and fall asleep on the couch. Hot baths can be soothing, especially for sore muscles, and so can getting a professional massage.
If you live with other people, play card games or board games after dinner. Sometimes it can be relaxing just to enjoy other people’s company and laugh a little. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it’s something you personally find relaxing.
5. Don’t let negative self-talk take over
Your inner dialogue can have a greater influence on your mood than you think. Negative thoughts will only keep you feeling down. Try not to let your self-talk go in a negative direction if possible, and if it does, derail those thoughts as fast as possible. Don’t allow yourself to entertain a negative train of thought for even a moment. Redirect your mind or distract yourself with something else if needed.
6. Eat healthy food
Eating healthy food will go a long way in helping you stay stress-free. There are just far too many brain-and-hormone-altering chemicals in packaged food as well as fast food, and the less you consume those chemicals, the better. Your body needs nutrition to heal, and so does your brain. When you avoid eating foods that are known to disrupt the body and its healing process, you’ll be far less likely to exacerbate any stress you may feel.
Real food, like fresh fruits and vegetables, will give you access to the nutrients and energy your brain needs to function without creating unnecessary stress. When your body feels good, your mind will be in a better state, and you’ll have an easier time controlling your stress levels.
Be gentle with yourself
One of the biggest keys to healing is to not push yourself to jump back into life as usual before you’re truly ready. Healing from an injury takes time, so don’t feel guilty for relaxing and doing nothing for a while. Read a good book, hang out with your pets, take a bath, or watch movies – it’s up to you!