Recovering from surgery or a major injury is difficult and can be a long process. It is easy to become isolated and depressed. It is important that you take care of your entire being at this time, and that includes your mental health.
- Don’t stop spending time with important people in your life. If your social time normally revolves around an activity such as hiking, skiing, or lifting weights, it might feel funny to spend time with friends when you are being relatively inactive. Use this as an opportunity to find other activities to do together. You can also use it as an opportunity to practice asking for help.
- Make a list of everything that you can do at this time and look at it frequently to remind yourself how capable you are. Add to the list as you continue to improve. Maybe you can’t run right now, but you could read a novel, learn a new language, or practice playing an instrument. If you have a hand injury, you can hike and build up your leg and core strength.
- Keep a gratitude diary where you record what you are grateful for every day. Notice if you trap yourself with thinking “I will be happy when I can do xyz” or “Everything will be ok when this pain is gone/this is over” etc. Try to be content and enjoy your life today just as it is.
- For the advanced level, you can think or write about what is good about your surgery/injury. Maybe you learned who or what is most important to you. Maybe this gives you time to slow down and do a different activity. Maybe you learned that you can handle pain and difficulty. You are the meaning maker in your life, so see what you can come up with!
Lindsy B. Campbell, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT
Owner at Mission Valley Physical Therapy
(406) 883-6863
