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Personal injury and recovery represent a difficult road to go down on. However, things become even more complicated when your mental health decides to take a holiday. You believe that your body will be able to recover on its own, but there is a small catch here: your body will only recover if the “human element” (i.e., your mental health) cooperates as well.
Your physical health is greatly influenced by the mental factor, and understanding the concept and what you can do to recover can help you along the way.
What Is Mental Well-Being?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, well-being is categorized as “a state of feeling healthy, comfortable, and overall happy.” That being said, while we do have a general description of what well-being is, there is also the fact that everyone’s mental health is affected differently.
Mental well-being is not necessarily about your daily happiness and good mood. It is about how you function on a social, personal, or professional level. It is about having a sense of control over your mind and body – a sense that you are capable of taking care of your problems and making a change.
Early Signs of Poor Mental Health
When your mental health is going down the slip, the chances are that you will likely notice it firsthand. Here are the main signs that will tell you that something is not how it is supposed to be:
- Overall low mood
- Inability to properly concentrate
- Finding yourself in a difficulty to make a decision
- Becoming less interested in your daily activities
- Feeling overall overwhelmed
- Worrying a lot more than usual
- Being constantly tired and lacking energy
- Avoiding social activities and talking less
- Having a short temper or showing irritability
- Drinking more than usual
- Sleeping more (or the opposite, sleeping less)
Just exhibiting one or two of these signs might not be that much of a problem, particularly if these symptoms only show in the short term (one or two days). In that case, recovery will not be affected. Still, if multiple signs are exhibited in the long term, then it should sound the alarm and you must do something about it.
How Could This Affect Your Physical Injuries
There are various manners in which your mental health can affect your physical health. Among a variety of things, it can lead to an increase in heart diseases – your mental health being the main thing that causes your physical illness in the first place.
Individuals that show a mental health condition are also not as likely to receive physical care – not because they are refused care, but mainly because they do not ask for it. At the same time, since their motivation levels are at quite a low point, they are not very likely to work out, reduce their alcohol consumption, eat healthily or quit smoking.
This low interest, mixed with poor concentration and overall feeling of tiredness can cause a lot of workplace accidents, mainly after a result of burnout. Plus, not only can poor mental health lead to an injury, but it may also prevent you from going through that quick recovery that you are looking forward to.
What Can You Do to Promote Mental Well-Being
No matter if you are at home or the workplace, promoting mental well-being can reduce the chances of becoming injured. In Washington, for example, there was a great decline in workplace injuries, as employers placed a lot of focus on the mental well-being of their employees. Those who simply refused to adhere to these modifications would have to deal with a Washington state personal injury lawyer – something that would rarely end well with the employer.
Whether you or your employees are at home or the workplace, these mental well-being tactics can improve performance and prevent any potential accidents:
1. Establish a System
In many cases, the mental well-being of an employee is thoroughly ignored. Many employers try to convince themselves that the problem does not exist – and that if they ignore it, maybe it would just go away on its own.
With that in mind, a more effective way to address this problem would be to put a system in check where people can seek open dialogue with a professional. This can promote mental health awareness, teaching the employee how to get to the root of the problem rather than just allow it to build up.
2. Encourage Downtime
Not only does lack of sleep affect your physical health, but it also affects your mental health as well. When sleep is lacking, the employee risks a lack of concentration and general fatigue. This is quite a common occurrence in busy companies where the employee often has to take their work at home.
In this regard, regular “downtime” should be recommended to these employees. However, in this case, words are not enough. If you are their employer, you also need to give them the time they need to sleep. After all, sleep improves productivity. So, besides preventing any injuries, it is also in your best interest.
3. Prompt Regular Exercise
Exercise releases endorphins, also known as the “happy hormone.” A lot of unmotivated people lose their interest in exercising, which causes their mental well-being to spiral down even more.
Moreover, lack of physical exercise (even something as simple as walking) can prolong your recovery and make you feel more pain. Overall, when endorphins are released, they interact with your brain receptors and make you feel less pain – or at least reduce your perception of it.
The Bottom Line
In the end, your mental health significantly affects both physical injury and recovery. When you are feeling low, you are more prone to getting injured – and at the same time, you will be less likely to have a smooth recovery. The more you try to keep your mental health up, the more you should be able to stay focused, avoid injuries or recover quickly from them in case they do happen.
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This content is sponsored by Uday Tank.
Photo: Shutterstock