This month, we’ll talk about an unfortunate inevitability of being very active – injury. We’ll talk about what we know regarding psychological responses to injury, and share some effective strategies for coping with injuries that stop or limit your activity participation.
If you have been physically active for a while, exercise becomes an important part of your lifestyle and identity. An injury can result in a range of emotional responses. One response might be a loss of identity as an exerciser. This loss of identity may lead to apprehension regarding what you will do now that you can’t exercise, or a feeling of fear or anxiety about how quickly or successfully you can resume your former activity level. Injured exercisers might also encounter mood changes such as sadness, denial or anger. In severe cases, even depression can result. In addition, since exercise is known to reduce stress, removing exercise from your weekly schedule could itself become a stressor. Boredom is another response to injury, since you may not be sure how to use that time you used for sports or exercise. All of these feelings are real and normal, but they may impede your recovery. There are number of ways you can move past these negative responses and find positive strategies for coping with this setback.
If I get injured, what should I do?
One of the first steps to take is to learn as much as you can about your injury. Not knowing what to expect can cause anxiety. Find out what caused it, what your treatment options are, and how to prevent another injury. If your doctor recommends physical therapy, do it – and if he/she doesn’t, ask if it might help. Physical therapists are generally very good at describing what is going to happen, but if you don’t feel like you are getting enough information, by all means ask questions! In general, take an active role in your rehabilitation. Understanding the injury and treatment may lessen the fear and anxiety and give you a sense of control over your recovery. But educating yourself about the injury and treatment is just one of several effective strategies for coping.
Use mental strategies as coping skills
Another way to help you get through the frustrating time of recovery from an injury is to use those self-regulation skills that we have covered previously: imagery, self-talk, and goal-setting. Imagery is creating a visual image of what we perceive. Replace those negative images of your injured self with positive pictures of how you want to be after you have recovered from your injury. For example, Mary has an injury that will keep her from participating in her favorite activity, running, for a couple of months. When she feels discouraged during her recovery, Mary creates a mental image of herself running painlessly and effortlessly. Self-talk is an internal dialogue that interprets feelings, beliefs, and perceptions about our self. Examples of negative self-talk include: ‘I’ll never get back to the same level of fitness I had before the injury” or “the rehab is taking too long. I’ll never run, swim, play golf, etc. again.” This kind of self-talk is self-defeating. Replacing negative self-talk with positive statements such as “Rehab will give me a chance to develop new strengths so I will become a better athlete or exerciser” or “while I am recovering from my running injury, I will try some other activities that will help me stay in shape” will help you to take control of your situation and contribute toward your own recovery.
Goal-setting is another very effective strategy for keeping motivated during the recovery process. Your goals during this period should focus on recovery instead of performance. Develop a series of specific, time contingent short-term goals for improvement that will lead to your primary long-term goal of returning to your favorite activity. Again, if you are seeing a physical therapist or other medical provider, ask them to help you set reasonable goals. Since your progress may be slower or faster than anticipated, remember that evaluation and revision of your short-and long-term goals may be needed.
Use your social support networks
The last strategy is one of the most important and effective. A support system is a key element in your recovery plan. A common response to an injury is to isolate yourself from others. Instead of going it alone, maintain contact with your friends, fellow exercisers, family, or others while you are recovering from an injury. Remain an active and visible member of groups that you are part of. These people can provide encouragement, give advice, or provide comfort to help make the road to recovery a lot less bumpy. In particular, if you know someone who has had a similar injury, ask him or her for advice. We often learn from other’s experiences, and this is no exception.
No one likes to get injured. But sometimes accidents happen – and as we often say, psychology is often about controlling what you can, and letting the other things go. Let’s hope those injuries are few and far between – but if they happen, let’s be prepared and deal with them like we mean it!
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This article was contributed by Diane Whaley and Blake Rushin of the University of Virginia. Copyright 2008.
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