6 Tips for a Healthy Recovery

Something happened, an injury, a surgery, and it wasn't in your plans. Now you're stuck in a bed with nothing but pain and time on your hands. It's only natural to find yourself overwhelmed by depression and anxiety, but there are ways to cope in times of stress and difficulty so that your healing isn't hindered by negative thoughts. Truth be told, it doesn't have to be injury related, the tips we'll talk about today are great for coping with depression and anxiety triggered by anything.

1. Get a Routine. It's easy for the days to drag on into eternity when you're in pain, and even easier then for them to begin to blend into each other, one indistinguishable from the next. Screen time makes this fog even more pronounced, which is why it's important to establish a routine and stick to it. By the way, studies have shown that watching television and being on the computer don't really count as "resting." In fact, over watching tv leads to higher blood pressure, aggression, and depression*. Not to mention that spending so much time concentrating on tv leads to stress and fatigue which prevent you from resting well*. While it's perfectly fine to have some screen time each day, it's important to have tasks that you complete at regular times each day and keep the screens as a small, scheduled part of your routine instead of letting them dominate your day. Here's an example of my recovery routine:

6:00 a.m. wake up, bathroom, brush and braid hair, start drinking water.
7:00 a.m. make breakfast
8:00 a.m. brush teeth then five to ten minute walk
10:00 a.m. reading for thirty minutes then a nap
12:00 p.m. lunch
1:00 p.m. five to ten minute walk
1:30 p.m. nap
3:00 p.m. watch a movie
6:00 p.m. dinner
7:30 p.m. shower
8:30 p.m. reading
9:00 p.m. bedtime

It may sound a little unnecessary to schedule things like meals and naps, but having appointments for everything kept me focused. Also, my doctor said I should begin walking immediately following surgery to prevent blood clots, and to help my body absorb the excess air pumped into my abdomen during surgery. This air put so much pressure in my chest and shoulders that I had to sleep sitting up for several nights to reduce the pain. So, having them on the list and then gradually increasing the time I was able to walk not only kept me doing the things my doctor suggested but it also helped me to see my own improvement each day.

2. Eat Healthy. I know it's easy to crave comfort foods (i.e. junk) when we don't feel well, but during recovery from illness and injury our bodies need nutrients to help us rebuild, so it's important now more than ever to eat healthy, wholesome foods. Not to mention that foods containing high amounts of caffeine, sugars, and refined carbohydrates have been shown to exacerbate inflammation, fatigue, depression, and anxiety and impair your body's immune system*. Stick to foods that are high in fiber, lean protein, and nutrients and that are minimally processed and therefore easy to digest. Your body is working hard on recovery, give it a break on digestion.

3. Get Some Sleep. It's hard to rest when you're hurting, but it's even harder when you're not really giving yourself the opportunity to rest because the T.V. is always on the and the phone is constantly buzzing. You'll notice in my schedule I set aside two times of day to nap. I didn't always need the nap or sometimes even feel like taking a nap, but twice a day I hobbled to my bedroom, closed the door, turned on some white noise, put in my ear plugs, and closed my eyes for 30 minutes. If sleep happened, great. If it didn't, I still got a little peace and quiet time. It's also important to give yourself a little time to wind down before bed. I shut my screens off, popped pain meds if I needed them, and then did my showering and teeth brushing, followed by reading for 30 minutes each night. Shutting the screens off to do another activity before even getting into bed was a big help in disconnecting from the day and winding down.

4. Go Outside. For the first couple of days, I couldn't go far and the weather wasn't ideal, so I stayed indoors. But, on the first day that the sun showed up and so did a visitor, I asked for an escort on my walk so I could go outside. Getting a little fresh air and sunshine does wonders for your mood no matter what's going on in life, but even more so when you've been cooped up in bed for days on end. We didn't go far, just a stroll around the yard and then another down the driveway, but it was nice to have a little change of scenery and to hear the sounds of the outside world.

5. Be Social. It's important to keep the crowds to a minimum when you're trying to rest, but don't go to the other extreme and be isolated. Want to get your mind off yourself? Talk to someone else. Having a couple of friends or family members over to laugh with us and love on us a little when we're sick, goes a long way to a better mood and a better state of mind. It's easy to feel like you're all alone, especially when, like me, you spend so much time in pain and all alone. So, reach out, invite someone for a visit or a phone chat (texting and emails don't really do the trick) and you'll find the pick-me-up you need.*

6. Set Flexible Goals. If you're not paying attention, it's easy to miss the milestones in recovery and it can begin to feel like you aren't making any progress at all. Research your situation and find out what some recovery goals are for you. Then set some goals that you'd like to reach and get a plan for how to reach them. For me, I wanted to be up walking each day. Then I wanted to increase the time each day for two weeks. Ultimately I wanted to be back to doing moderate physical exercise again by four weeks. So far, I'm doing well at walking each day and I hope to make my exercise goal in a few weeks, but if I need more time, I don't have any problem slowing down a bit. Another goal I had was that I wanted to be able to bathe and dress myself by the end of the first week and at four days I knew I was getting there because I needed less help each night. Even though I was still in pain quite often, just by that goal alone, I could tell that I was healing and making progress and it gave me hope for a speedy recovery. As long as you keep at it and stay focused you are sure to reach your goals. A little depression and anxiety along the way are to be expected. Plan for them and know through it all that this too shall pass and you'll be back on your feet again soon.