One of the most common and frustrating aspects of sport and exercise participation is the experience of an injury. Whether it be acute, recurring, or long-term, injuries are typically unexpected, unwelcome, painful, and require a shift in focus from training and competing to rehabbing and recovering.
Many people view injuries as setbacks and see themselves as working to return to where they were pre-injury. They fear that they will lose ground, standing on a team, or in the rankings. Self-confidence can take an unnecessary hit. In this sense, injury is perceived as entirely negative. While some of these aspects may be true, my years of experience have shown me that learning how to optimally navigate an injury can lead to outcomes that exceed pre-injury status. Here are five pro-tips for how to rock your rehab and leave you feeling less distressed, mentally stronger, more prepared, more self-confident, and more motivated.
- Allow yourself to rest as directed. I noted this first because competitive people typically think more is always better, and that isn’t true in this case. Physical and mental performance entails preparation, execution, and recovery. Do what is needed at the moment. And trust the providers who are experts in your recovery.
- Take a holistic approach to your recovery. Tap into areas of well-being that affect recovery and performance that don’t involve physical training. Work on prioritizing sleep, as cells regenerate when you rest. Learn new ways to manage stressors outside of your competitive environment, such as through mindfulness or meditation. Check in with your eating habits to ensure you’re optimally fueling to manage your thoughts, feelings, and productivity.
- Prioritize and bolster your mental health and well-being. Allow yourself time to address your concerns, deepen your self-awareness, examine your limitations, and expand your identity. Not being able to engage in your typical training routine and/or less social connection with your training group can affect you psychologically and socially.
- Seek support and allow yourself to be vulnerable. What you are experiencing may feel challenging, different, and unfair. Having an outlet to process your experience can normalize your concerns and validate your plight.
- Consider working with a high-performance sport psychologist to ensure you’ve got the mindset and environment you need to thrive. Learn to approach your rehab like you train. A professional can address all the above issues, teach you new skills to train your brain for performance excellence, guide you through the return to play and/or retirement process, help you expand your identity, and give you a more helpful, new perspective.
High performers can pivot and shift their approach when needed. Take time to learn how to better navigate athletic injury with self-confidence and an optimal approach. For more tips and support on how to create the mindset and environments to help you thrive, visit Work It Out Consulting at www.drmichellejoshua.com to schedule a free consultation.
