3 Steps to Getting the Stroke Recovery You Want

If you want to recover from stroke, or help your loved one's stroke recovery, then I have some news for you:

If you do a few specific things, you could have a much better stroke recovery.

There are people that have a full stroke recovery, others that only recover partially, and some that don’t recover at all. 

So how can you make sure that your stroke recovery is as good as you want it to be?

These tips below can help your have the stroke recovery you want. 

Whether it is learning to walk again, talk again, think clearly or just smile, these tips will help.

Focus on Stroke Recovery

It’s easy to say and may be harder to do, but is so important: focus on your stroke recovery. 

It's easy to get caught up in how hard things are now or what you can no longer do because of your stroke.  You might still be in shock from having the stroke all together.  However this is not where you want to be.  You need to get out of this thought pattern.

Focus on your desired outcome (to fully recover), not how hard it is where you are.

The more you think about how hard things are, the less time you are spending in your stroke recovery!

Instead, think about yourself fully recovered.

What will you be able to do once you are? 

Turn that feeling in to action.  Do what you can do now to improve.

Focus your daily activities on getting better, or helping your loved one get better. 

Have a mental few “pick me ups” you can use when you feel frustrated.  Talk to a friend or family member.  Do something you enjoy.  Then when you are feeling better, get back to your recovery.

Take Control in Your Stroke Recovery

You are the only one that can do your stroke recovery and rehabilitation.  No one else can do it for you!

To have the recovery you want, you have to be willing to do what it takes. There is no magic wand or pill.  It’s up to you.  Just like that old saying “If it is to be it is up to me”.

When you get discouraged, will you give up or will you keep going?

How will you react when you and those around you don’t know what to do any more?

Will you give up?

Will you keep looking for answers?

You have to decide whether you'll keep going until you get the stroke recovery you want.  Or whether you'll let things stop you.

Know that stroke recovery is possible.  Do everything you can to achieve it.

Practice Your Stroke Recovery

Practice your stroke recovery exercises as well and as often as you can.  The saying goes “practice makes perfect”.  A better one states “perfect practice makes perfect”. 

How well do you do your stroke recovery exercises?

Michael Jordan lead the court when he played basketball.

Why?

Jordan practiced as if every second counted.  And that practice pulled him through when it did count- like in championship games.

So many players take a more casual approach. They go along doing the minimum their coach requires of them. And then they wonder why things aren’t going the way they want later. 

This is the same in stroke recovery. Real success takes dedication.  It means practicing more than what your coach or therapist says.

It means practicing  knowing that what your are doing is working.  That it is helping you achieve your stroke recovery. 

This is the perfect practice.