Experiencing pain is a part of life, but when that pain becomes an aspect of your everyday existence, it can be difficult to enjoy life to the fullest. This is often the case for those who are experiencing long-term illnesses or devastating injuries that alter the course of their lives. Maybe you were a professional athlete, but an injury ended your career prematurely, or you served in the military and obtained a service-related illness with ongoing symptoms.
No matter the cause of your illness or injury, it takes time to get used to a new reality. Sometimes, that reality is not what we had planned for, and the impact on our mental health is devastating.
Though there may not be a perfect cure to your lack of enjoyment of life, there are some steps you can take to make the most of this difficult situation, even when those around you may never understand what you are going through.
Finding New Hobbies
Hobbies are an important contributor to positive mental health. If you never take the chance to engage in fun activities that stimulate your brain, then it will be difficult to have a positive outlook on life. Perhaps this new condition has prevented you from participating in activities you used to love. At this point, you will have to find new ways of enjoying those old activities or choose a different hobby altogether. There are many options for hobbies that you could try out. Woodworking, knitting, playing sports, collecting antiques, refurbishing old equipment, gardening, birdwatching, studying new subjects, and even exercising can all become new hobbies. Though they might look different due to your condition, finding activities that you enjoy can promote mental and physical health.
Leaning On Your Support Network
Hopefully, there are loved ones and close friends who care about you enough to stick around when life becomes more challenging for you. These are the people who are there for you no matter what. It can be isolating to suffer from an illness or injury since you are the only one feeling these things. However, leaning on your loved ones can provide crucial emotional support. Sometimes, just being around them is enough to boost your mood and make life more enjoyable.
Seeking Financial Help
One of the primary consequences of a persistent injury or illness is the financial ramifications. Perhaps you are facing a long recovery period that will force you to miss work. Maybe the medical bills from your treatment are starting to pile up. If the condition is lifelong, then your home may require some improvements to make it safe for your new care needs. Either way, money can be a huge source of stress at this stage of life. Seeking financial help can help you cover these costs and achieve peace of mind. If someone else is responsible for your injury, then perhaps a settlement from a personal injury lawsuit could help. If you are a veteran with a service-related disability, you can calculate your VA disability rating and receive tax-free payments to cover your expenses. Financial assistance can help you cover extra bills, home improvements, and personal activities to better enjoy life.
Being Patient
If the injury or illness you are suffering from has had a significant impact on your lifestyle, then it will be even harder to experience a state of normalcy and fulfillment. The key to finding contentment is patience. There is going to be a grieving period as you mourn the loss of the life you used to have. Often, that grief will never truly go away. However, with time, that grief may become a little easier to manage. Patience is one of the keys to dealing with lifelong injuries. If there is a timetable for your recovery, then the last thing you want to do is rush back into things and re-aggravate the damaged area. If recovery is not an option, then you might need to accept that experiencing happiness may take a while. Let yourself process this grief and lean on your support group to help you through this challenging time. Eventually, you may begin to appreciate life in a new way.
Try to Avoid Seeing Yourself as a Burden
One of the hardest aspects of going through an injury or illness is seeing the impact that it has on those closest to you. Often, they may need to provide more care than usual, which could be an extra load for them to bear. Many injury or illness victims feel even worse when they think that they are disrupting the lives of families or friends with their needs. This mindset can be detrimental to your mental health as you struggle with a physical ailment on top of that. The people who truly care about you will be happy to support you. When you can avoid this mindset and put the other steps mentioned above into practice, you will have a better chance of returning to a state of contentment.
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