Last Updated on October 30, 2018 by Bharat Saini
Bouncing back after a severe illness, an injury or an operation can be quite challenging, especially when you consider the many things you will have to do to allow your body to recover properly. Recovery is also a complex process after multiple injuries or health issues. Still, there is always a way to recover at a fast-enough pace.
What you need to do is take good care of your body. You have to be more careful when listening to what your body says. You also need to take extra care with the activities you do and the things you eat, especially after a big injury. If you are serious about recovering from an illness or an injury faster, here are the five secrets that you need to know.
Deal with the Stress
Recovering from an illness can be much more stressful than dealing with the illness itself. You instinctively think that the worst is behind you; that thought usually comes with the urge to return to normal, everyday activities and your old habits. Not being able to do those activities is a known trigger for post-injury stress.
Here’s something you can try if you find the recovery stage stressful: take a deep breath and remind yourself that you have all the time in the world. There is no surefire way to deal with the stress that comes with recovering from an injury or an illness but start slow and allow your body and mind to relax every step of the way help.
You also want to learn how to better recognize signs of tension and stress, both physical and emotional stress. Physical tension is easier to spot, mainly because you can almost always feel pain and fatigue as the result of that tension. Emotional tension, on the other hand, requires you to really take your time to listen to what your body is saying.
Improve Your Diet
A good diet is notoriously good for helping your body recover faster. If you aren’t on a healthy diet before, now is the perfect time to make the necessary changes. After all, you have extra motivations to help you make those changes and assume a healthier eating pattern.
You can start by changing the way you eat. Rather than having a couple of big meals, spread your meals across multiple times throughout the day. Take smaller portions and have multiple meals at different times of the day to allow your body to get the nutrients it needs to recover.
As you recover from the injury or illness, you may also find yourself not wanting to eat; this is a common post-surgery problem for many people. If this is an issue you face, it is okay to be picky about what you eat.
Instead of focusing on the meals, learn to consider the nutrients you consume throughout the day. Limit your sugar intake, consume more protein, and make sure you supply your body with enough vitamins and minerals to help with the recovery process.
Take Supplements
Speaking of providing your body with the necessary nutrients, you can also fill gaps in your diet with the help of supplements. When you don’t get enough vitamins A and B, for example, you can take supplements that provide the right balance. The same can be said for minerals and other nutrients.
You can also use other products to help with the recovery process. A few drops of CBD oil under the tongue is known to be incredibly effective for dealing with anxiety and stress. CBD oil also contains a lot of nutrients that help the body recover at a much faster rate. You can click here to learn more about how CBD oil can help with your recovery process. Alternatively, CBD gummies are a good substitute for CBD oil and are a lot tastier. If you are based in the UK, for example, you can search “Edibles UK” to find some gummies that you could purchase.
Lastly, don’t forget to drink enough water. In fact, you want to steer clear of beverages that contain a lot of sugar for a while. Substitute soda and coffee with water for the time being. The extra water helps the body process unwanted toxins and helps with the recovery process too.
Don’t Forget to Rest
When you are stuck in bed for the whole day, getting enough sleep may not seem like a problem at all. However, multiple studies have shown that recovering patients can still suffer from a lack of sleep simply because they spend the entire day lying in bed. What you want to avoid is taking long naps during the day. While naps are great for keeping your body fresh, they are not the best kind of sleep to have when you are recovering. What you want instead is a good night sleep; one that really refreshes you completely.
The body regenerates better in the evening. This is how our metabolism is designed to work. It is also the reason why naps are no substitute for a good night’s sleep. If you end up taking long naps because you spend a lot of time in bed, try to get up and do light exercise to break the cycle.
The Buildup
Speaking of light exercise, you also want to start exercising as soon as possible. Depending on the illness or injury, doing heavy exercise immediately may not be possible. Instead of forcing yourself, find lighter exercise routines that you can start with.
Ideally, you want to start with lighter workouts and build your strength gradually. The buildup is also good for your recovery since it helps boost metabolism and the body’s ability to regenerate. As your body adapts to the increasing intensity of your exercise, it will recover at a faster pace too.
The buildup also helps prevent further injuries. Once again, you have to rely on the signs from your body in order to determine the right intensity. Practice listening to your body and observing symptoms – as recommended earlier – this is how you really optimize yourself for a speedy recovery.
These five secrets will help you deal with post-injury or post-illness recovery like a champ. Use the tips and tricks we discussed in this article to help your body and mind deal with the recovery period better. You will bounce back and be ready for the world in no time.