Life has a knack for throwing curveballs at you when you least expect them. And because it will take you by surprise, you won’t have enough time to think of an escape plan before it hits you in the face. When that happens, the only choice you’ll have left is to pick up the pieces and hope that you can rebuild yourself one day.
It’s never easy to move forward from a traumatic and life-altering experience because it changes everything. You will no longer be able to do the activities you once enjoyed either because you physically can’t or your priorities have shifted dramatically since then.
During that time, it can feel like you’re losing control over your own life, and you have no way to regain it. You may feel helpless, lost, and even a little scared, but those are all normal in a situation like this. What’s not normal is if you don’t allow yourself to grieve for the kind of life that you used to have and lost.
Grieving is healthy because it gives you enough time to come to terms with your new circumstances. Wallowing in that grief, on the other hand, is what you can’t do because it will be difficult to dig yourself out of the black hole once you’re in. It’s not impossible to get out of, but it will take you longer to heal.
But everyone moves forward at their own pace. You shouldn’t have to feel pressured to heal or move forward as quickly as others do because healing is not a race. So, take it at a pace that’s comfortable to you, and when you’re ready, you can use this three-step plan as a guide:
Step 1: It’s All in Your Mindset
The very first thing that you need to adjust is your mindset. Your body can exert all the effort to heal, but if your mind isn’t on board with the process, everything else will follow. By changing your mindset, you can decide that you want to heal or move forward and actually trust in your decision.
So before you can move onto the next step, you must tell your mind that you’re ready to move forward. You took the time to come to terms with your circumstances, and you’re now ready to take action to regain your control. This way, it will be easy for your body to follow suit because you’re in the right headspace.
Of course, this can happen simultaneously, as in changing your mindset while healing your body, but that can put an unnecessary strain on your fragile state. It might be better for you to wrap your head around the idea of healing first before eventually acting so that you won’t overwhelm yourself.
Step 2: Healing and Rehabilitation
Once your mind is on the right track, the next step would be to seek out the right integrative medical solutions for your condition. Rehabilitation will only work if it’s the appropriate healing method for you, so you must consult what kind of treatment you need with a trained medical professional.
Everybody is different, which means the rehabilitative treatments that work on others may not work for you. But that’s nothing to be afraid of or worried about. It’s just that your condition needs to be diagnosed accurately so that your physician can develop a customized treatment based on your individual needs.
Through this process, you’ll realize that you won’t have to live in pain and discomfort because there’s still hope for you to regain your life. But it will take time. Medical treatments aren’t magic; your pain won’t go away simply because you wished it would happen, but that doesn’t mean it won’t.
Step 3: Consistency Is Key
Healing is non-linear, and it won’t happen overnight. If you’re truly determined to regain control over your body, you must be consistent with your rehabilitative treatments. Similarly, you must hone your mind to believe that you can still heal and be healed because they need to work together.
Starting a habit is always the hardest, but once you get used to your medical appointments and asking for help when you need it, moving forward will become so much easier. However, if you’re having a hard time keeping yourself motivated, it might be best for you to find additional support systems.
This could be your closest friends and family, but it could also be a support group. You could join a support group for people in the same situation you are because it might be easier to heal when you know that you’re not alone in this. Besides, no one should be forced to go through this alone.
Getting back on your feet is difficult because it takes so much time, hard work, and effort. There could be times when you feel like it’s pointless to heal or that it would be easier to succumb to the darkness, and you should know that it’s okay to feel those emotions. But what’s not okay is choosing to give up on yourself because you deserve better. And you deserve to have your life back.
