Healthy Living

How to Quickly Return to Work after an Injury

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If you have to take time off from work because of an injury, it can create a big impact on your life. The period of time that it takes to recover to full health can often change the way that you feel about yourself; you may begin to lose your confidence, or feel uncertain about your job and your future. As soon as your recovery is underway, there are luckily a few ways that you can start thinking about making a return to work. As surprising as it may seem, easing back into work will not only improve your recovery, but also your sense of well being and general health. Here are several ways that you can make a safe but speedy return to work. 

Don’t Neglect Professional Advice

Get effective, early treatment. The action that you take straight after you are injured can have an effect on the way that your body recovers. Ensure to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. After all, a doctor knows best and will be able to offer you the appropriate support and treatment, such as pain killers or a wound cleanser to prevent any infection after surgery and further promote healing. 

Remember, recovery isn’t just for your body physically. Even after you’ve recovered physically, make sure that you’re also reaching out for support and advice with your mental and emotional healing to keep yourself feeling your best. 

Keep to your Rehab

If you have been seriously injured, a health professional will most likely give you an exercise or movement program to help you heal and recover your strength and mobility, which is known as rehabilitation or rehab. Ignoring or forgetting to carry out what your rehab plan requires can only lengthen your recovery process and in turn prolong the time that you spend away from work. Try to be strict with yourself, and set out a specified time in the day where you can complete the exercises. 

Focus on What you Can Do

After experiencing an accident, it’s easy to get swept up in negative thoughts. Instead, consider what you can do, not what you can’t do – staying in a positive mindset can work wonders in supporting your rehabilitation. Your injury might affect your ability to do your usual work, but it can be helpful to focus on what you can do instead, no matter how limited. To help yourself get back to work sooner, contact your workplace to find out which suitable alternative duties or modifications they can make to your existing role. From there, you can work with your doctor and your workplace’s return to work coordinator to identify key milestones on your journey towards a return to work date. 

Communicate

Remember to stay in touch with your colleagues and friends at work so that you can keep up to date with what is happening, both professionally and socially. Good communication between those helping you return to work, including your doctor, your rehabilitation team, and your manager can also help you to overcome any challenges along the way. 

Karla Urwitz
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