Injuries are something that can happen to all of us at some point (whether they are minor or severe). The one thing I find is never addressed is the effect that injury can have on a person’s mental health. 🧠
Often we become less motivated, less positive, doubt our abilities and tend to loose confidence.
Here’s 7️⃣ tips to keep you on the right track! 👇🏻
1️. Don’t compare yourself - it’s so easy to compare your own recovery to others. But it’s not a good idea. It gives you an unrealistic recovery time as everyone’s bodies are different. Just trust that your body is doing its best to get you better! 💊
2️. Don’t deny it.
Often, we refuse to acknowledge that we have a problem/ injury at all, instead continue as if nothing is wrong. This is likely to make your injury worse, and you end up taking more time off in order to get better… which is what you were trying to avoid in the first place! 😅
3️. Stay involved (if it feels right).
Watch class, take notes/ videos, go to performances. You can learn so much from watching. 👀
4️. Or remove yourself entirely
For some, watching can be too upsetting and may add pressure on you to get back to class or rehearsal sooner than you should. Recover in your own time, come back when you’re ready. ❤️
5. Don’t isolate yourself.
Often, we blame ourselves for an injury, we become angry with ourselves, and we feel useless and frustrated that our body is ‘failing’. This makes us deliberately withdraw and isolate ourselves. STOP. 🖐🏻Keeping yourself busy is the best way to not get caught up in negative thoughts.
6️. Celebrate small wins.
Recovery can feel slow. It is important to celebrate small things to help keep you feeling positive about the big recovery. 🙌🏻
7️. “What if thats it?”
This is something every dancer says to themselves at some point during injury. That never ending fear of never getting back! It doesn’t have to be ‘it’. More often than not you’ll recover and be back in class after 6 weeks! Try to remain positive, listen to the healthcare professionals/ physios, do your physio exercises and set realistic goals.
Slowly but surely wins the race! 🐢
