Protecting the Rights
of Injury Victims

Thomas DeLattre and Glen D. Wieland

Four ways to cope with your workplace injury

On Behalf of | Jan 23, 2025 | Workers' Compensation |

Suffering an on-the-job injury can change your life for a significant time to come. You might be unable to work for a while, which can impact your ability to earn income and meet your basic needs, and it shape your ability to engage in the activities that you love. The workers’ compensation system might give you some relief, but you have to know how to successfully navigate the process. We talk about some of the broader issues and nuances that accompany a workers’ compensation claim in our blog, but in this post we want to focus on something a little different: coping with your workplace injury or illness.

If you don’t know how to deal with your newfound realities, then you’re going to find yourself completely overwhelmed, stressed and worried about the future. While those emotions are understandable to a certain extent, you can’t allow them to consume you and define your life moving forward. So, let’s look at some ways that you can get a handle on your recovery and your overall well-being so that you can effectively focus on reclaiming your life.

It’s easy to feel hopeless after being injured or falling ill from your job, but the reality is that there are a lot of steps you can take to make the recovery process easier. This includes each of the following:

  1. Participating in a support group: Recovering from a workplace accident can feel isolating. You might sense that no one understands what you’re going through and that they don’t understand the way you’re feeling. This can be crushing. But you don’t have to navigate your recovery alone. There are support groups out there that consist of individuals who are either in the same position as you or who have been where you are and successfully came out of it. By attending and participating in one of these support groups, you can find connection and an outlet for your emotions, which will ease the burden you’re experiencing and help advance your recovery.
  2. Educating yourself: By learning as much as you can about your illness or injury, you’ll be better equipped to live with it and find ways to enhance your recovery. This will give you a sense of control over the recovery process, which can be empowering.
  3. Working closely with your medical provider: Your doctor might have good ideas for how to handle your symptoms and hasten your recovery. So, listen closely to what they have to say and follow their recommendations.
  4. Giving yourself a break: We often try to operate at maximum efficiency all the time. That’s simply impossible to do when you’ve been injured at work. And trying to remain fully productive will just lead to disappointment and feelings of despair and worthlessness. Truly recognize that you need to go easy on yourself and that it’s okay to give yourself a break. This might be easier to do if you can find activities that you love that are within your newfound limitations. This can give you a renewed sense of purpose during your recovery while still going easy enough to ensure that any progress in your recovery isn’t stymied.

Have hope as you recover from your workplace injury

We know that coping in the aftermath of a workplace injury can be stressful. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Have hope that you can and will get through this a stronger person. That said, if you need help navigating your recovery, then please seek out any guidance that you think may be necessary.

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