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Handout #6 - Promoting a Healing Environment Taking care of yourself is one of the most important aspects of recovery from an injury. Getting adequate rest and nourishing food not only allows your body to recover, but can improve your overall health and sense of well being. Rest and Recovery Feeling exhausted is miserable anytime -feeling exhausted when your back is injured can be even worse. In addition, fatigue can make the discomfort of a back injury feel more severe during the day and throughout the night. Taking a few steps to take care of yourself can go a long way toward making your days more pleasant and healthful.
Avoid heavy meals before bedtime. Try and adjust your meals so that you have eaten at least one to two hours before bedtime. Stay awake during your usual awake times. Shorter naps and rest periods should not keep you awake at night; however, sleeping for a long time during the day can make it difficult to get to sleep at night. Oftentimes people get into a cycle where they go to bed later and later (because they are unable to fall asleep) at night, only to sleep later and later in the morning. Try and avoid this pattern and make an effort to get back to your usual resting hours. Late night television, video games, computer work, or radio can sometimes inhibit a person's ability to relax and fall asleep. Avoid these activities for at least one hour before bedtime-instead, try an activity that usually makes you sleepy like reading or listening to relaxing music. Even though alcohol is not a stimulant (like caffeine), it can still hinder sleep. Limit your intake of alcoholic beverages before bedtime. If you would like a drink, try and have it with a meal several hours before bedtime. If you go to bed and can't get to sleep within a half hour, get up out of your bed and read. Don't stay in bed. Go back to bed when you begin to feel sleepy. Eating Healthy as You Recover When we don 't feel well, we often seek out things that make us more comfortable-and food is one of the things that often comes to mind. Remember that good nutrition is important to recovery. Here are a few ideas:
Soothe Your Mind: Stress Reduction
-but can help us from getting tense over things that we cannot control. Use your friends to talk things out. One of the best ways of getting rid of stress is to talk to friends in your neighborhood or through work. If your friends don't allow you to feel good about yourself, work toward becoming friends with people who like and respect you. When you are together, get things off your chest that have been bothering you. Be considerate and don't overload them-and be ready to hear some of their concerns as well. Major life crises occur during some people's lives-and these types of problems are nothing to be ashamed of. Such problems include serious financial problems, grief over the loss of family members, problems with alcohol or drugs, violence in the home, or overwhelming care giving responsibilities. These issues often require more in depth assistance than simpler stress reduction activities provide. Talk with your health care provider if you have concerns about your well-being or those of family members around you.
For information contact rtw_project@montana.edu, Dr. Patricia Butterfield, Montana State University-Bozeman. Do not copy without permission.
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