Healing Mindset
I have had the pleasure and honor to be physical therapist to many folks, athletes and non-athletes alike. Through my years of experience helping patients from different levels of injury (from strokes to acute ankle sprains), the most ever-present and the most difficult hurdle for my patients – and ironically, the BIGGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT ingredient needed in their recovery – is to find positivity after injury.
Below are some things I have learned from my patients that may help you get through the injury doldrums.
Fixate on an activity that you want to be able to do after recovery. Aim high! “To play a round of basketball with my work buddies” is far more fun and engaging than “To be able to walk again.” Share it with your physical therapist and negotiate a reasonable time-frame. We will work on that goal with you and practice incremental exercises to prepare you for it. Close your eyes and imagine yourself at your goal. Write it down. Talk about it and keep it always fresh in your head. You’ll find that you’ll be there in no time.
This also goes the same for when you’re not feeling so great when you’re with us. A lot of folks think that PT is a lot of “no pain no gain” but this isn’t always the case. We cannot feel what you feel, so let us know and we can adjust things accordingly. Keeping the lines of communication open also allows us to know whether our treatments are effective. Know your own limits and your physical therapist will stay within them. There is never any judgment or criticism involved – hey, we’re on your side!
No injury is ever the same as another person’s injury so don’t compare yourself to someone else’s pain or path to recovery. Setting your yardstick against someone else’s model always leads to negative emotions of inadequacy, failure or impatience. Focus instead on your individual goals and progress and you won’t be sidetracked.
By Alice Holland, DPT.
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