Tags: coping with vision loss, Vision loss, Visually impaired
As a certified vision rehabilitation therapist, I have worked with many clients who have experienced recent vision loss. This has allowed me to witness the various ways clients cope. When I reflect on the strategies that have been most successful, one common thread appears. Maintaining mindfulness, or staying focused on the present, is an effective coping strategy.
While it may sound cliché, taking each challenge one step at a time can be the key to avoiding feelings of being overwhelmed or anxious. Stay focused on the present rather than the past or future. Working on one, short-term goal or need makes it easier for you to achieve your goal. Achieving your goal then gives you confidence to continue building on what you have already learned.
Take for instance learning to use an iPhone. An iPhone can be a tremendous help in accomplishing a great deal of different tasks for someone with vision loss. However, some people may feel overwhelmed when considering the thought of learning an iPhone because of its complexity. When we begin training on iPhone use, we focus on one task at a time. We may start with locating the physical buttons on the phone or how to use SIRI to place a call. We do not worry about all the things an iPhone can do, we just focus on one task before we move on to the next one.
This strategy also applies to other skills you need to learn to be more confident in your ability to be independent. You may feel overwhelmed at all there is to learn, but by focusing on one thing at a time, after six months of work you will realize the concerns from six months ago are not anything to worry about any longer. By being mindful and staying focused, you have built a foundation of skills you can rely on.
Rather than making mountains out of molehills, make molehills out of the mountain. Before you know it, you’ll have reached the mountaintop.
Cody is a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist at Second Sense.