How to Help Your Patients Act On Their Ability To Act

Helping others act on the ability to act is one of our goals here at HappyNeuron. We like to use this phrase as a way of aligning ourselves to have an innovative and encouraging mindset. We want to help each person see how their small actions can impact the world.

It’s similar to the mindset that if everyone drank one less plastic water bottle a year, we would save thousands of water bottles from going into landfills. In the modern world, we often feel like we cannot impact the world around us. Depression and isolation are on the rise, and people feel like they cannot do anything to create change. But actually, the opposite is true. If everyone empowers themselves to create small changes, we can collectively make a big change.

By helping your patient act on their ability to act, they can become champions in their own lives. Not only can they improve their own lives, but they can also brighten someone else’s day which could be a catalyst for change across their community.

None of us can act on our abilities to our fullest potential without the support of others. That’s why one of our goals is to help individuals act on their ability to act within the healthcare sector.

How does this transfer to real life? Is it just a theory or is it practical? In this article, we will break down our core beliefs about enabling patients to act on their ability to act.

Help them recognize their current abilities

Injuries, relapses, or mental health challenges often make an individual feel powerless. 

As humans, we can have a really hard time adjusting when we lose an ability that we once had. This is why there are often cases of depression after an injury. Regardless of a patient’s current state, everyone has one thing in common. We are all alive. It is a privilege to be able to wake up every day, breathe, and interact with the people around us.

It’s understandable that someone may not feel this way when they are experiencing an overwhelming situation. Encouraging patients to focus on what they currently have can be hard, but it will become fruitful. Just like when sandcastles are consumed by a wave at the beach, children don’t typically just pout. They get back up and build it again. It can be a hard journey, but using some positive psychology techniques may help your patient recognize what they can do and start to overcome their new challenges.

Help them recognize everyone can make an impact

Everyone, regardless of their past and current abilities, has the ability to impact change. Taking time to learn a person’s name can make a difference. Taking the time to make people smile can make an impact. Sitting with someone as they watch their favorite movie or tv show can make an impact. Choosing a positive outlook, although challenging, can make a change for others and for oneself.

Individuals coping with a cognitive condition may sometimes feel powerless, but if they remember that they have the ability to impact another person’s life (i.e, smiling, picking up trash, or spending time with someone), we hope they may choose to act on their ability to act, and recognize their potential impact on the people around them and on their own wellbeing.

Work on the ability to act through cognitive skills 

Working on cognitive skills can empower a patient.  Memory is one of the foundations of cognitive functions. Without memory, we would forget how to speak, walk, smile, and laugh. With our 16 memory games, you can help your patient work on all aspects of memory. Visual, verbal, spatial, semantic, and working memory are all areas of memory that our program can help with.

Practicing cognitive skills allows individuals to realize that they are able to complete small tasks. Our program will challenge your patient on their current ability. If the patient notices progress, it can help show them that they are able to develop skills and reach new achievements. 

Build positivity through sessions

Our goal is always to support the actions of clinicians. It goes without saying that clinicians have a wealth of knowledge and abilities concerning how to best support their patients. Utilizing cognitive tools that were created with patients in mind, clinicians can make sessions even more engaging and effective. As trust between the patient and clinician is established, clinicians are in a unique position to help the patient develop a positive mindset and empower them to act on their abilities.

Patients often desire to improve in certain areas that they simply aren’t able to improve upon without the right assistance for their situation. Clinicians help patients to stay motivated, approach their condition in new ways, and learn or regain valuable cognitive skills. This helps patients to act on abilities they already have, or regain their ability to act in certain areas. Sessions can be empowering to patients and provide them with a level of positivity that they may not be able to find without the help of a clinician.

Help patients plan for the future

Neuroplasticity is an amazing ability of the human brain. Just like how a broken arm or scraped knee heals, so can the brain. Due to the nature of neuroplasticity, the future of a patient’s brain isn’t necessarily dictated by its present condition. Neuroplasticity may help return some individuals to full recovery.

By helping your patient plan and look forward to the future, it can give them hope. When individuals have hope, they have a more positive outlook on life. If they have a more positive outlook on life they are more inclined to engage with life, which means that they can act on their ability to act. 

Conclusion

• Everyone in the world has unique abilities and each individual brings something special to the table. 
• It’s up to all of us to support each other and help others act on their ability to act! 
• We aim to support clinicians in every way possible, to help them act on their ability to transform lives while they support the needs of their patients.
• We hope to help clinicians in the process of empowering their patients to act on the abilities they have, even if their current abilities are limited. Simply smiling at someone may just make their day. 

If you’re a clinician who is interested in learning about our cognitive tools and how they can help your patients, try our digital tool for free or get in touch with us! We are here to help you act on your ability to transform lives by helping your patients act on their ability to act.