Getting physically injured can be stressful and can have a significant impact on your mental health. The shock of a sudden change in your physical wellbeing can be stressful or traumatic along with the sinking recognition that the course to physical recovery may be long, painful and will involve considerable effort on your part (going to doctors, getting tests, doing physical therapy etc.) and will take up more time in your life than you may have. Being physically injured also leads to tremendous physical pain and an inability to go about your life as you did before, which makes life less rewarding. People often become more less active than they were before, may spend more time alone, and need to rely on others to help them to do even simple things that they did on their own before.
All of these can create understandable stress, a variety of unpleasant feelings such as frustration and anger at yourself or others, sadness, anxiety and worry. Pain can take a toll on mental well-being, can lead to discomfort and distress. You may have concerns about whether you will fully recover from the injury and may have concerns about how you will function in the future. If you are an athlete, you may worry that your future performance could suffer and may even impact your livelihood. These feelings and worries are normal and can go away on their own. However, if these become a doom loop, you begin to feel worse and you may stop doing helpful things or begin doing unhelpful things. Thus, your doom loop of fear, worry, sadness, and anger, can lead to unhelpful coping habits, which may ironically negatively affect your future physical therapy goals and outcomes, and your future performance. Addressing your mental fitness goals is crucial for optimal recovery. Recognizing this and addressing both your physical and emotional needs is crucial for optimal recovery.
Knowing and accepting the mind-body connection and realizing that these feelings and thoughts are normal is the first step and puts you on the road to recovery. Reaching out for mental fitness support is yet another step to help you recover.
Fortunately, there are many cognitive and behavioral strategies (CBT) that can help you reach your mental fitness goals.
- Psychological First Aid techniques can help you adjust and be resilient to cope with the injury or illness.
- Acceptance and Commitment techniques can help with people who have cope with acute or chronic pain.
- Behavioral Activation techniques can adjust the balance of your daily activity diet to improve your mood. These techniques can also increase a sense of pleasure and mastery and boost your confidence and self-esteem.
- Cognitive restructuring techniques can help you catch, check, and change catastrophic “what if” worries and help you not go down the doom loop. They can also help you come to terms with the physical recovery process, which can be frustrating and anxiety-provoking and boost your confidence and self-esteem.
- Mindfulness and relaxation techniques can release stress, reduce anxiety, boost mood, and improve well-being
- Sleep techniques can enhance your sleep, which improves your physical and mental health.
- Problem solving techniques can teach you systematic steps to solve the hurdles you encounter today.
- Building Relationships: A strong, trusting relationship with your doctor, physical therapist, and CBT therapist provide you with emotional support and the tools to help you recover and get back to your life.
Physical injuries can be stressful, and can affect how you feel, what you think, and what you do. By understanding the connection between physical and mental health and embracing a holistic approach, you are well on your way to recovery. Ensuring that you take care of your physical and mental well-being will help you not only regain your physical function but will also improve your mental fitness, physical performance, and overall quality of life.
Click here to contact us or reach out to us at (212) 595 9559 or 914 385 1150 and press extension 1 if you need help to reach your mental fitness goals.