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i'm 8 months post a nonsurgical distal fibula fracture, and the mental health impact + loss of independence is REAL. i'm a health + fitness journalist on hiatus, and i've been considering writing an article about this exact topic, so here's a mini version bc i'm high: tip #1: find ways to accommodate yourself ASAP. i bought myself this diaper bag/organizer to keep all of my pain meds, self-care items, chargers, etc right next to me in the early days (not a mom, but love this thing). do things like: get a second ice pack (so you can rotate), make food easier (pre-prepped, snack sizes, etc). fuck jeff bezos, but do what you gotta do to reduce load tip #2: create a "healing" atmosphere. maybe i'm extra, but i tried to take breaks from screen time to play binaural beats, light a boujee candle/incense, etc. i would literally ask myself "is there anything i can do in this moment that would make me more comfortable" (mostly posture, body temperature, clothing comfort). stress isn't a friend of healing, so i tried to imagine what felt zen to me - like a super calm & unrealistic movie hospital - and tried to spend at least an hour each day in this mode. it doesn't have to be meditative either, which is why i like to pair it with tip #4 tip #3: be creative w/ your social connections. i'm not a big social media user anymore, and i don't use snapchat, but my friends/family & i have switched to this app called marco polo and we LOVE IT (not an ad lol). my friend introduced it to me as "snapchat for boomers" (not my words lol) and it's basically asynchronous video chatting with your friends. everyone loves it bc you can listen to each other like a podcast, but it works for busy schedules where a phone call is hard to fit in. tip #4: hobby it up. if you don't have hobbies, get on pinterest & start scrolling for inspiration. i felt like this was a great alternative to doomscrolling for me, bc whenever i got stuck on instagram or tiktok, i'd end up feeling just as shitty in my brain as i did in my body. after some pinterest scrolling, i ended up doing a lot of crochet, dabbled with air dry clay, bought a few puzzles, and a spiral-bound sudoku book. also took a free google course on project management because why not. doesn't have to be crafts either—reading (libby is a lifesaver), video games, chair yoga, whatever. tip #5: try not to make every physical sensation important. i have OCD & mad medical anxiety, and i've had to learn to tone down my reaction to things in my body. it's helpful to use the pain scale to keep this in check. is what you're experiencing a 0-3 on the pain scale? it's probably okay. i would literally tell myself "it's nothing special" (over & over again) until i could find a distraction. if it's over a 4, bring it up with your doctor. obviously, i'm not a doctor but this is just what my old physical therapist said to me & the rest of my care team has given it a thumbs up. things are gonna feel weird. my ortho said you have to remember that your entire ankle area is TIGHT right now, swollen & inflamed & holding itself in stasis while it assesses the damage & starts to heal. as that fades, things are gonna come back online & twinge i know that's a lot, but this is just my personal experience—pick and choose anything that sounds interesting to you, or maybe others could leave their advice in the comments! i keep seeing this question from newbies to the broken ankle club, and i wanted to pay it forward a little bit, so...hope this helps! take care of yourself, friend. it gets easier <3