Playing the Infinite Game: Coping with Long Recoveries

Recovery from injuries that require months or years away from sport/activity can challenge our mindset and mental health. Day to day comparisons can make progress feel slow, or even stagnant, at various points in recovery. Reflect on the journey as a whole instead.

Short-term comparisons open the door with falling short of expectations, or placing too much weight in ups-and-downs of recovery. Health is an infinite game: there is no fixed endpoint to a healthy lifestyle. In the long-term, injury recovery is short chapter of your health journey and life’s story.

Change the mindset to break out of the day-to-day. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Keep a video journal. Record the milestones (no matter how big or small) that make you feel accomplished. Maybe walking without crutches, jogging for the first time, throwing a ball. Remember to look back at the early days every so often.

• Keep a daily or weekly journal. Write down everything. The things you perceive as good, bad, indifferent. Go back and read it once in a while to see how far you’ve come

• Share your experience with others. Choose a friend or family member who you can talk to regularly about how you’re feeling. They can provide perspective on the tough days.

Your physical therapist can be an excellent resource here. At Live4, we focus on building relationships with our clients, rather than focusing on their injuries alone. Placing you at the center of your care and allows you to take charge of your own health. We are simply guides through the process.