| When your body has been injured, it needs extra | | | | If you maintain the same fast-paced lifestyle while |
| rest to recover and heal. When you are not getting | | | | your body is trying to heal, then you risk more |
| enough rest, your pain may intensify and your healing | | | | injuries and permanent, irreversible damage. |
| may be slowed. | | | | How to slow down and heal. |
| Your body's needs. | | | | Adjust your lifestyle. Your co-workers, your family |
| When you are in pain, your body perceives injury or | | | | and your friends understand medical trauma. Your |
| trauma. Your body activates a healing response. All of | | | | need to slow down may be more apparent to them |
| your body's systems are affected. | | | | than to you. |
| As part of the healing response, your body gives | | | | Make sleep a top priority. If you already have |
| extra attention to the injured area. Your immune | | | | difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, then your |
| system, your blood-flow, your nervous system, and | | | | body is waving a giant white flag. It is time you |
| your hormones are all working overtime. | | | | learned how to sleep better. There are many |
| Your injury naturally requires extra attention on a | | | | organizations devoted to helping people achieve rest, |
| physiological level. Therefore, all this heightened | | | | like the National Sleep Foundation. Learn and practice |
| activity will cause your body to need more rest. | | | | healthier habits that contribute to good-quality sleep. |
| If you continue a hectic lifestyle of hard work and | | | | Take rest breaks. During your workday, at meals, at |
| stress, your body is not able to give extra healing | | | | home, and on-the-go, practice random rest. Slow |
| energy to your injury. Plus, your activity level might | | | | down with meditation and guided imagery, or prayer. |
| be too much for injured muscles to follow. And your | | | | Get outside and observe nature: this can overwhelm |
| stress could contribute to increased pain and slower | | | | your senses with peace and relaxation. |
| recovery. | | | | |