After suffering a serious injury, it is time to make yourself your no. 1 priority. This article explores ways to take care of yourself after suffering an injury to speed up the recovery process.
When was the last time you thought about how you can better care for yourself? Very likely, it was a long time ago when you thought about this. We’re all so caught up in our daily lives, trying to help and support everyone else, from our families to friends, spouses, and even work colleagues, that we rarely stop and think how better we can take care of ourselves.
Yet, when you suffer a serious injury, YOU need to become your first priority. Suffering an accident that results in injuries is no easy experience. It’s an overwhelming experience that can involve a lot of pain, fear, confusion, anger and plenty of uncomfortable things. But, don’t worry, all things, good and bad, end in their own time. For now, you need to focus on your recovery.
Here’s how to take care of yourself after suffering a severe injury!
Seek medical help
There’s really nothing more important than your health. Your overall health is at the centre of your life, determining how high you can climb in other areas of your life. Without good health, you don’t have the energy and motivation to perform in other vital sectors like family, work, or personal development. So, when you’re starting your journey to recovery, you need first to regain your health.
One of the most crucial things you need to do after an accident is to make sure that you see a doctor who can assess the severity of your injuries correctly. Only a medical professional can determine the right treatment for your injuries and give you tailored advice on how to recover completely.
Make sure to respect all your doctor appointments and ask as many questions as possible to understand your condition and how you can treat it correctly. Once the doctor gives you a treatment, make sure to respect it thoughtfully.
Care for your mental health
Physical health is not the only one you should take care of after your injury. Caring for your mental wellbeing is also essential. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for people’s mental health to take a toll after a severe physical injury. And, it is all absolutely normal.
Think about it: when you’re physically hurt, you experience a number of negative feelings and thoughts. You may feel confused over what will happen next, or you may feel scared about future surgeries and recovery, or you may feel anger towards the person whose negligence has led to your injury. All these powerful and negative emotions and thoughts can seriously impact your mental wellbeing.
Numerous studies have shown that physical injuries and mental health are closely linked. More precisely, severe injuries or chronic illnesses can cause mental health problems like anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. So, make sure that you also invest time and energy in keeping your mental wellbeing at bay. Here are a few strategies:
- Talk to a mental health specialist;
- Practice mindful meditation;
- Stay in touch with your feelings;
- Rest properly;
Leave the legal aspects to your lawyer
After a serious accident that has led to severe injuries, especially if someone else’s negligence has led to that, taking legal actions against the person or party at fault is part of your recovery. Making a compensation claim can help you with two aspects:
- You’ll be financially compensated for the injuries you have suffered;
- You’ll feel content knowing that the person at fault was held responsible for their actions or inactions.
Yet, making a compensation claim doesn’t have to be one of your main priorities. Instead, you should reach out to an expert personal injury lawyer for help so that you can have enough time to focus on your recovery. Compensation claims can feel challenging and intimidating when you have 0 legal knowledge or skills, which can take a lot of your energy to figure out what steps you should follow to take legal actions against the party at fault. But, this may make you neglect your recovery.
So, instead of trying to figure out the legal details on your own, ask for the help of a legal expert specialized in cases similar to yours.
Surround yourself with loved ones
Emotional and mental support from loved ones during difficult times can mean a lot. It can help you recover a lot faster, both mentally and physically. After a traumatic accident, it’s normal to feel down and even experience the need to isolate yourself from others so that you don’t disrupt their lives with your injury. You may need help with completing even the most basic tasks you did on your own before, which can make you feel like a burden to your loved ones.
However, just as normal is to actually allow your loved ones to offer you their support and help, even if that means helping you walk, taking you to doctor appointments or simply discussing with you about your feelings.
Support from the people you love and who love you back is essential during such a difficult time. You’ll feel less anxious about all the things that are happening, knowing that you don’t have to face them alone. So, make sure to reach out to your friends and families and don’t hesitate to ask for their help if you need it.
Find ways to move on with your lives
A severe injury is definitely a life-changing experience that can redefine many areas of your life, from work to your hobbies and so on. However, it doesn’t mean that your life ends here, even if you’re left with a disability.
There are always ways to move on with your lives and reinvent yourself despite the challenging times you have gone through during recovery. So, instead of thinking your life will never be the same and feeling sad about that, look for ways to build a new one that suits your current situation. Here are a few examples:
- Make a career change to a job that you can complete despite your injury;
- Find new hobbies you can engage with;
- Find people that support you and accept you despite your physical limitations after the injury.
Also read: A Personal Guide to Pre-Hire Interviews: 10 Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Attorney
