Sticking to a healthy lifestyle is without doubt an important part of life, but even with the best will in the world, sometimes things come unstuck. The simple truth is that when health setbacks hit, they often come without warning, and even a generally healthy person can still have things go wrong from time to time. It’s easy, at a time like that, to question the worth of all of the good work that was done before the setback. In truth, that’s not the part we need to focus on. When we have had a health issue, the important thing is to ask about how we rebound and get better.

Firstly, it’s time to rest and recuperate

A lot of people, some of them in the grip of toxic positivity, will say that the best way to come back from a bump is to get right back to normal and show that your experience won’t get the better of you. That, to be frank, is the wrong way to look at it. If you have had a health issue that has been bad enough to stop you in your tracks, then you need to recover from it. Rushing back to work means ignoring any lesson you might have learned, and most importantly you need to rest so your body can repair in the aftermath of your health issue.

Next, it’s time to reevaluate

While you are taking time to get back on your feet, the spare time you have is mostly for resting, but you can put some of it to use by thinking about what has happened, and coming to terms with why it happened. Sometimes it will just have been plain bad luck. Other times it may have been because you were working too hard, eating or drinking the wrong things, or some other aspect of lifestyle that can be changed. Good health isn’t just about what you do, it’s also about what you take the chance not to do sometimes, and if that means taking time off, then so be it.

Now, get ready for the next steps

After a health setback, there can be a period of adjustment while you get used to some changes resulting from the setback. You might need to acclimatize to new medication if you have been ill, work out how to get around on crutches if you’ve broken a bone, or find the best hearing aid style for you if you have experienced hearing loss. Take as much time as you need to make this adjustment, because a recovery cannot be rushed – and if you try, you’re likely to end up feeling much worse.

Finally, return to your everyday life

After an unexpected health setback, the one thing you will crave more than anything is normality. And it is an essential part of your recovery to get you back in a position where you feel comfortable. So, when you are ready, it’s time to make the arrangements to return to work if you’ve decided to do that, or to put into place your plans for the post-recovery life you want. Life in suspended animation does nobody any good, so the sooner you’re back in your groove, the better.

Category: Mumbling Mommy

Tags: family