The human body is fit to recover from injuries, and the amount of time it takes to recover from an injury depends on the steps that you take to get your life back. If you have been injured on-the-job, it is important to do your part to heal your body so that you can get back to your position and regain your quality of life. Sitting around upset about your injury is not going to help you heal quickly. There are habits, however, that can shorten recovery times. Here are five steps that you should take so that you can reclaim your position and earn your full salary again.
Step 1: Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer So That You Can Avoid Stress
Dealing with your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer or with human resources can be very stressful, and stress is the last thing that you need when you are trying to heal. In fact, studies show that chronic stress can slow down the healing process because stress produces high levels of cortisol. These high levels of cortisol that are pumped through the body for long periods of time can lead to inflammation and suppress the immune system. According to Kitchen Simeson Belliveau LLP., by hiring an expert in personal injury to deal with your case, you can pass the burden on to professionals while you focus your energy on healing.
Step 2: Keep a Positive Attitude
Did you know that a negative attitude can actually affect the healing process? A bad attitude affects your friends, your family, your coworkers and even your body. Negative thinking will make you unmotivated, and motivation is needed when you are trying to recover. Anger also produces the hostility hormone known as glucocorticoid, which leads to slower wound and injury healing. Think positively about how your body is healing itself so that you do not work against your own immune system.
Step 3: Eat a Diet That Will Promote Healing
If you have been injured, what you consume while you are recovering is important. You will not be as active and your body will need carbohydrates, protein, fats, and minerals to repair itself. It is important to have a well-balanced meal that is packed full of calcium and protein so that your bones, muscles and tissue will repair and regrow quickly. Avoid the junk food, which contains empty calories that will not contribute.
Step 4: Exercise Regularly
You may think that only professional athletes exercise after they are injured, but that is not the case. Anyone who is injured on the job should exercise to speed up their recovery. By “walking it off,” you can produce the anabolic hormones that are needed for muscle, tendon and tissue repair. By sitting sedentary, your hormone production will be low.
Step 5: Know Your Limits But Do Not Limit Yourself Unnecessarily
There is a mental component of recovery that can hold you back when you are scared. You need to know your limits and adjust for your condition, but over-adjusting can lead to slow healing. There will be things you can do and things you cannot, but do not let your injury control you. By participating and keeping a positive attitude, you can learn how to live life with an injury and speed the healing up at the same time.
This article is from Lizzie Weakley, a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. She enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her three-year-old husky Snowball.
