I missed close to a year at one point from a combination of injuring and re-injuring my back and having an unrelated surgery that took a very long time to recover from.
Not to make you feel worse or anything, but that was like two years ago, and my training still hasn’t completely recovered. I mean, the ease of the practice schedule and the comfortable way it was integrated into my life has never been the same. I’m really trying now, but it’s very hard.
My advice is to try not to let the discipline slip. If you can’t lift or do heavy cardio or whatever, do qi gong or any physical discipline that you can do to fill a similar schedule. I think that’s where I really hurt myself. I let those chunks of time go, and now it’s very difficult to get them back.
Just deal. I missed a little over 6 months due to injury and illness. I got to watch my body and muscle waste away. It’s just one of those things you have no control of. Unless of course you got injured doing something stupid, then I’d say you learned your lesson.
First accept that your hurt or sick and need to rest. Make your self comfortable and don’t worry about missing your training.
If your religous (I’m not) pray
Take this time to do something that you could’nt do before or didnt have time to do. Study the history of your art or study a part of you art you havent had time to before (Philosophy etc)
Make this time worth while dont look back and go “**** I didnt do anything”
If you follow these steps it will probaly make this time less depressing.
All good suggestions thus far.
Id also definately say to read, read, read. Anytime Im hurt I do a good deal of reading… but I do a good deal of reading while not hurt as well.