From the article: Coping with the Stress of a Sports Injury
Recovering from a sports injury often requires more than just physical rehab. The psychological aspects of injury recovery can be just as important.
Have you used mental strategies or sports psychology to help you heal faster and maintain confidence while you were sidelined? Share your best sports psychology tips and tell us how these strategies helped you cope while you recovered from your injury.
Include positive imagery in your recover
- Besides the physical issues, recovery from injury for many athletes is challenging both in terms of motivation as well as confidence. Mental skills and positive perspectives are an important part of the recovery process. In an article, by Driediger, Hall, & Callow, Journal of Sport Sciences, March 2006, a number of positive imagery uses were identified by injured athletes. Imagery was used by athletes to picture their goals and think about getting back to their sport. They also used imagery during physiotherapy appointments to rehearse specific movements or rehabilitation exercises. It also helped athletes re-learn how to perform previously automated skills and to maintain their ability to perform plays. Motivation was most important function of imagery and helped them to control the stress associated with being injured. One athlete used it to get ‘fired up’ to continue their rehabilitation. While other athletes used imagery for healing.
- —Guest Tara Costello
Optimism is the best medicine
- You may be depressed at first, but even you cry, you worry, you complain, it won't do any good for your injury. So although you are unlucky to get hurt, keep a good mood! Be optimistic and confident! Believe you that you can recover quickly and well! Give yourself a big smile everyday and you will find nothing is too bad, you are still terrific! And what's more, you will find your injury will recover soon!
- —Guest Banana
