INJURED
I’M
As competitive athletes
we are continually
striving to push
ourselves further in the
quest for greatness and
personal achievement.
We never think that
something will happen
to us in the midst of
our preparation for an
event or contest.
Injuries are, somewhat, unavoidable.
The longer you are into fitness the
greater chance you have of getting
injured. This shouldn’t prevent anyone from working out. That would
be like saying you aren’t going to
drive your car anymore because you
could get in an accident. Nevertheless, It happens. Injuries can sneak
up on us, even when we think we
are taking every precaution to avoid
them. Most injuries require that we
take some time off to heal, which
can range from a week to a month
or so, which to the A-type athlete
may seem like an eternity, but if adhered to, can mean you’re back into
your training before the contest season winds down to a close. But what
do you do when the injury takes you
out of the contest preparation completely? The mental side of this unfortunate situation is where I happen
53.
NOW WHAT?
to be at right now, and have found
some very positive avenues to help
maintain my sanity as I work through
the healing process and try for a
comeback. I have started focusing
on some of the strategies outlined
below.
Athlete Strategies
for Coping with Injuries:
#1 Be sad
Allow yourself to mourn and feel
whatever loss you are experiencing. Being "macho", "strong" or
"brave" by burying or hiding your
feelings in this situation is not only
a waste of energy, but will interfere
with you effectively coping and recovering. Feeling is an important
part of the healing process. Remember that! Feeling is part of healing!
#2 Deal with what is
Injured athletes have a tendency
to focus on the "could 'a beens",
"should 'a beens" and the "way it
was" if only they hadn't gotten hurt.
The fact of the matter is no amount
of wishing upon a star will change
the reality of your situation. Yes it
sucks that you got injured. Yes, it’s
thrown a monkey wrench into all
your plans and dreams. Unfortunately, this is your reality right now and
you have to allow yourself to deal
with where you are, right now!
#3 Set new, more
realistic goals for yourself
As you begin the recovery process,
you may very well have to learn to
measure your successes very differently than ever before, perhaps in
millimeters now instead of meters
the way it was before your injury.
It may mean that you also have to
start all over again back at “square
one” to build up arm or leg strength.
Keep focused on your new goals
and leave the old ones in the past
for now where they belong. Once
you’ve come all the way back from
your injury you can start entertaining
your old goals.
#4 Maintain a positive
attitude no matter what
As difficult as this will be, try to stay
as positive as possible. Understand
that “It is to be, it is up to me.” In
other words, your attitude and outlook is absolutely everything! When
positive, your attitude can speed up
the healing process and lessen the
emotional pain that you have to
go through. However, when you’re
negative you’ll slow the rehab process down to a screeching halt and
make yourself miserable in the process. It's all up to you. Avoid being
negative because nothing good ever
comes from negativity. Negativity
will only bring you and everyone else
around you down.