Week 7 - Keeping your Spirits Up
Waiting for a joint replacement and your mental health
Waiting for a hip or knee replacement and living with pain and fatigue is really tough. It can cause emotions like stress and frustration and can lower self-confidence which can bring on anxiety and depression. This can have a huge effect on how you live your life, your relationships, work, and many other things that are important to you. Recognising and dealing with difficult emotions, anxiety or depression is key to living your fullest life.
Download the Keeping Your Spirits Up Task Sheet
Promoting positive wellbeing
1. Connect with other people
Stay connected to family, friends, or the local community. Having good relationships can help you build a sense of belonging and self-worth, give you an opportunity to share positive experiences, and provide emotional support and allow you to support others.
2. Keep active
Keep up with activities you enjoy or take up a new one. This could be anything that requires movement. Being active can release natural, feel-good chemicals which can positively change your mood, and can raise your self-confidence and self-esteem.
3. Avoid unhealthy habits
Do not reply on alcohol, smoking, or unhealthy foods as your ways of coping with stress. Although it might provide some temporary relief, in the long run they will not solve any of your problems but may create new ones.
4. Pay attention to the present moment
Being aware of the present moment, meaning your thoughts, feelings, and body, and the world around you, can improve your mental wellbeing. This awareness is often called mindfulness and can help you enjoy life more and understand yourself better. It can positively change the way you feel about life and your situation and how you approach challenges and difficulties you face. You can read more about mindfulness by following this link https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-an...
Your weekly exercises
Click the links below to see this week's exercises. You will need to do just one level. Start on the foundation level, and if you find it easy click on the intermediate and advanced exercises for a more difficult version.