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We see people from all ages and athletic abilities who are looking to accelerate their recovery from injury. Ankle sprains, knee pains, hamstring strains . . . you name the injury, we've seen it and we've discovered ways to heal--FAST.
In pursuit of getting our customers back to thriving mode again--whether that's on the field or in the office--we researched best practices and innovative therapies, and we've now observed some keys to accelerated healing that we'd like to share.
Because there is a mental and physical side to recovery, we will address each in a post. The mental approach is the tougher of the two, so we begin here.
Mind Over Matter
You've heard the term 'mind over matter', and that definitely applies here. Your mind plays a significant role in the quality and speed with which you recover from injury--both to the upside and the downside.
According to a report by the NCAA Sports Science Institute, injured athletes are prone to emotional responses that include irritation, anger, frustration, doubt, fear and sadness. These responses can trigger the injured person to experience isolation, poor sleep, poor eating habits, lack of motivation, and even depression. Every one of these behaviors negatively impacts your recovery from injury.
Mental Strength Speeds Recovery
On the flip side, athletes and non-athletes who can remain mentally strong, positive and engaged in their rehab will see the quality and speed of their recovery greatly enhanced. So, how do you remain mentally strong during your recovery?
Perspective Corrects Posture
An article in Psychology Today discusses the importance of proper perspective in getting healthy. After allowing yourself some time to 'grieve' the injury--after all, injuries do suck--heed the author's advice: "get over your “pity party” and get your mind on your recovery; keep focused on the present ("What can I do now to get healthy?") and the future ("I will heal and get back better than ever!")."
Surround Yourself With Positive People
Whereas people are prone to isolate when they are sad, frustrated or depressed, the healthiest alternative by far is to surround yourself with positive, motivating and caring people. You will need support and encouragement to help you move through the recovery process, so find the right people who can be that source for you!
Attitude of Gratitude
In addition to your support circle's external affect on your attitude, one of the best things you can do to reset your perspective is practicing an attitude of gratitude. Regardless of the injury, it could be much worse--Give thanks! Regardless of the recovery time, it could be much longer--Give thanks!
Mental Strength Conditioning
Despite this momentary set-back, you still have an opportunity to get better at your sport or passion while you are sidelined. I know this may seem counter-intuitive, but here's why: You've been given the gift of time away from the field or office, and thus the opportunity to put on a coach's lens through which to observe your team, your position, your role, and your capacity to deal with adversity.
When you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, you'll see opportunities to improve. Typically, you'll be able to enhance your sport or business IQ and your mental strength through this process. A more developed mind increases your 'speed' and toughness on the field, classroom and/or office.
Prayer and/or Meditation
Many people we've worked with report great peace, comfort and hope by praying or meditating through their injury recovery. Whenever you can move the focus from self to others, or to those things you can control vs. those things you cannot control, you benefit tremendously.
Drew Brees, who has experienced his share of major injuries, credits his injuries and his faith in helping him become the Hall of Fame player he has become.
Focus on What You Control
In his bestselling book Atomic Habits, author James Clear teaches how we can achieve remarkable results by increasing our motivation and will power through building good habits. To fully recover from your injury, you are definitely going to need determination and will power!
The best way to set yourself up for success is to build the habits (both the mental and physical habits) during recovery that yield the best outcome. These include those Mind over Matter habits we've discussed here, as well as the physical recovery habits we will discuss in Part 2 of this article.
Conclusion
The speed, quality and thus success of your recovery from injury depends heavily on how you deal with the mental challenges that accompany injury. We've experienced what mental and psychological experts have proven through research: proper perspective corrects posture, positive and encouraging people should support you, practicing gratitude enhances perspective, dealing with adversity increases mental strength, prayer and meditation provide peace, creating atomic habits yields best outcomes!
Champion Performance & Recovery's mission is to is to help you get back to what doing you most love to do--we want to help you thrive! If you have questions, please call 737-212-7104 or visit here. Or if you are ready to book your first consultation, click here.