How to be Hopeful After All This
 

I need an ear to stay positive and to turn things around for the better. I need strategies to practice mindfullness and to keep my mind busy without thinking back to the injury. Any help?

Have you tried walking. It is both good for you and can be very relaxing. You might try your hand at art. Drawing is a relatively cheap activity and can occupy your time. If drawing is not to your liking water color is similarly cheap.

Self help books to get close to inner peace and positive thoughts....That is where I started....:grouphug:

watch seinfeld! and listen to psychedelic music! and believe and know that you will be better!~ :)!

For the longest time after injury and still sporadically now, 3 months later, I would go over the events of the day I fell and wish I'd done differently somehow, or lament how life changed. I'd even "hear" the smack of my head against the concrete.

While at first I wanted to process everything that happened, I eventually got to a stage of wanting some kind of positive escape, like you.

So far I've done:

• some drawing/colouring...
  
• Some songwriting. (I'm a singer) I've strummed my guitar but found it hard to keep a rhythm since the injury so I have taken a break.
  
• I find that when I get acupuncture I really mellow out. I am starting to like that.
  
• I bake. I love the smells and the satisfaction of doing something for others. (My family is loving this)
  
• I avoid all triggers of sadness if possible. I don't watch the news or sad movies because I just can't process all that pain.
  
• I listen to worship music if I'm able to tolerate any sound. I know that's not for everyone but there are some songs that just really get me "out" of my own head and focused on something far greater than human interests.
  
• I use positive self messaging a lot from my former CBT days. Such as "I will not let pain steal this moment" when something is wonderful, like my son's laughter, or hearing my husband say sweet things to my son at bedtime kisses like "I sure love being your dad"... Those moments are mine to cherish and I tell myself to "stay in the present".
  
• I look for ways to laugh. I find humour in every day things and even my short comings.

Hope some of those inspire ideas of your own.