Personal empowerment is one of the most powerful things you can cultivate. It can lead to professional success, improved health, and even new passion projects.
You can practice self-empowerment by identifying and breaking old, disempowering reaction patterns. You can also strengthen your empowerment by setting measurable, achievable goals.
Let Your VA Know the Severity of Your Condition
The severity rating you receive for your disabling condition plays a significant role in how much disability compensation you get from the VA. The severity rating is based on the evidence of how your medical condition limits you in everyday life. This rating is determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to:
To win your service connection claim, you must prove that your pre-existing medical condition worsened during your service. This can be difficult if your situation was already in decline before service. In such cases, you may need to supply private medical evidence (such as a report from your family doctor or healthcare provider outside the VA system) showing that even temporary flare-ups were symptomatic of the underlying pre-existing condition and that your service activities caused them.
When pursuing VA benefits, it’s crucial to ensure VA understands the severity of your condition by providing comprehensive and detailed information about the impact of your disability on your daily life and functionality, aiding in a fair assessment and determination of your benefits eligibility.
The attorneys at the Veterans Disability Benefits Law Firm specialize in providing medical, solid nexus evidence to help veterans successfully win their claims for VA disability benefits.
Let Your VA Know Your Goals
Self-empowerment is about believing in yourself and knowing you have what it takes to get where you want. This includes cultivating a positive attitude, pursuing your passions, and keeping an objective, goal-oriented mindset.
Pleasing others and putting their needs above your own can be good things, but too much of this will leave you feeling powerless. When you prioritize your needs and aspirations, you have more energy, resources, and emotional reserves to share with those around you healthily.
Attending your compensation and pension exam (C&P) and obtaining a copy is one of the most essential steps to becoming more empowered. This is because the C&P exam assesses the etiology and severity of your conditions and is weighed heavily when applying for disability benefits. If you skip the exam, the VA can only rely on outdated medical records. This can make it challenging to prove your symptoms are ongoing and disabling.
Let Your VA Know Your Schedule
A virtual assistant who knows your schedule can work around it, scheduling appointments and meetings that fit in with your other obligations. They will also know when you have your family or personal time so they can avoid scheduling you during those times.
Ensuring your VA has all the tools and resources to manage your calendar and appointment schedule is a good idea. This may include setting up clear communication channels, creating systems for managing calendar and appointment scheduling, and establishing protocols for handling emergencies or urgent requests.
VA Online Scheduling allows you to request and self-schedule appointments quickly at most VA facilities, community care sites, and other locations. This tool can also download your appointment information to your calendar or phone. You can also view your clinic or community care appointments. The positions you can request in VA Online Scheduling differ from those you can schedule at a VA facility.
Let Your VA Know Your Needs
Many people hire virtual assistants, thinking they will shape their digital lives. But VAs have their own lives and priorities, impacting how much work they can do for you on any given day. As a result, I recommend setting realistic goals for yourself and your VA. It is best to start with smaller, achievable tasks and gradually build up to more complex projects.
A traumatic event can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in some people, which can lead to feelings of powerlessness or helplessness. Some common signs of PTSD are difficulty sleeping, hyper-arousal, and reliving the experience as if it is happening again.
Whether you have PTSD or another mental health condition, it is important to empower yourself by prioritizing your needs and making healthy choices. This can be as simple as reducing your intake of caffeine and alcohol, eating more fruits and vegetables, and getting more sleep. By empowering yourself, you can feel more confident and capable.