If spending a few weeks in hospital, confined to a bed, undergoing operations, and subject to strict medical procedures following an injury weren’t enough, you have the prospect of a long and challenging recovery process ahead of you. However, recovering from an injury doesn’t have to be all suffering. Read on to discover five fun ways to improve your function and coordination.
Injuries Can Cause Emotional Effects As Well As Physical
Depending on the nature and severity of your injury, you may face emotional and cognitive challenges along with physical ones. Of course, people tend to focus on the physical aspects of the injury, such as nerve damage, broken bones, and damaged tissue.
However, the physical changes can be frustrating and have significant mental and emotional impacts. Even basic daily tasks can feel impossible, resulting in you depending on support from family and carers. This situation can suppress your mood, making physical rehabilitation even more challenging.
Therefore, it is crucial to recover as soon as possible. Occupational therapy for mental health can get you back to the life you enjoy as quickly as possible based on the nature and extent of your injuries. They will understand your challenges, consider the physical, mental and emotional aspects of your injuries, and help you learn new ways to complete essential daily tasks. They’ll also develop fun and innovative ways to improve function and coordination. Let’s take a look at a few of these.
Book a FREE consultation with Infinity Health
Book a FREE, no-obligation 15-minute phone consultation with an experienced rehabilitation expert at Infinity Health to discuss your situation and determine your best options going forward.Five Fun Ways to Improve Function and Coordination
1. Games and Music
Playing games or a musical instrument is an excellent way to improve your function and coordination and can help get your brain stimulated.
Simple indoor games such as checkers, chess, and other board games can be significantly beneficial. As well as having fun and focusing your mind away from your injury, you will get used to picking up and moving small and intricate objects. It can help to improve your mood by promoting the enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment.
A pack of cards can be a good recovery tool you might not have considered using. Shuffling cards and performing card tricks are not just fun but complex tasks that can improve your motor function and memory considerably.
If board games and playing cards are not to your liking, you could consider playing a musical instrument. Again, the complex finger movements required to play a guitar, keyboard, or brass instrument are excellent for promoting recovery while you focus your attention on something fun. This is also great for challenging your brain which is so important in recovery!
2. Daily Tasks
Okay, the prospect of completing basic daily tasks usually wouldn’t fill your heart with glee. However, how would you feel if you knew practicing these tasks would help your recovery?
Remember, the sinking mood you experience from being unable to perform daily tasks can stifle your rehabilitation. Therefore, switching your mindset and considering these tasks as challenges, competitions, or daily goals to accomplish will have a positive emotional effect that can boost your recovery.
For instance, how quickly or easily can you button a shirt, tie your shoelaces, or zip a jacket? Challenging yourself to improve such basic activities can be fun when you put your mind to it. Your occupational therapist can help you with techniques to perform simple tasks more effectively. Accomplishing one chore or task a day can do wonders for your physical and mental recovery.
3. Hand Exercises
Hand exercises are a great way to improve motor skills, function, and coordination. The great thing about these is that you can do them while seated. As such, they are ideal for people with certain conditions or those recovering from a stroke.
Manipulating simple household items such as pens, cutlery, coins, etc., will improve your hands’ functionality and coordination. You can also use putty or a stress ball. There are also plenty of other things you can do that can be engaging and fun.
For instance, spinning a pen or coin or balancing a knife on top of a fork or spoon is simple. However, these tasks require some concentration that removes your mind from the rehabilitation challenges.
Picking up visiting cards or coins from a table and putting them in your wallet or purse is another excellent activity. This type of task is one people frequently do without thinking about it.
4. Adjust Your Living Environment
Occupational therapy is about making life easier for you and isn’t limited to your motor functions. You can improve function and coordination by adjusting your living environment.
For instance, you could widen the handle of your toothbrush if you find it challenging to use a standard-sized one. Simply wrapping some foam or cloth around the handle can achieve this. Similarly, for some fun and relaxation, you can apply the same technique to a pencil or paintbrush to do some artwork.
Thinking of new and innovative ways to adjust your living environment can be fun, and your occupational therapist will be keen to help you with this.
5. Practice Handwriting and Keyboard Skills
A positive aspect of your recovery is that you will have plenty of time on your hands to do something creative. Practicing your handwriting and keyboard skills will improve your motor skills and allow you to capture your thoughts on paper or in a document.
Using a painting or sketching app, you can also take your digital skills to another level. You will be surprised by the fast progress you can make using these digital tools. Indeed, you’ll become so immersed in the activity that you won’t even realize it is part of your recovery process.
What Now?
Your recovery may be a long and ongoing process, but it doesn’t have to be a complete grind. Hopefully, these five fun ways to improve function and coordination will get you thinking differently about your rehabilitation from injury.
An occupational therapist right here in Vancouver will help you develop a custom recovery plan for your situation. Perhaps, more crucially, they will work with you on your recovery journey to make sure it’s also some fun.