“INSTEAD
OF HAVING A
PERFECT LIFE,
I REALIZE
NOW THAT
IMPERFECTION
IS BEAUTIFUL.
OWN IT!”
she didn't count on,
however, were the un-
expected emotions that
came along with being
retired. Feelings of being
lost, of not knowing who
she was anymore, of
losing her identity. Jill
struggled with finding
out who she was outside
of the competition world
and worried about what
others would think of
her.
“When I lost my iden-
tity as a competitor, I
started to seek a sense of
self-worth from others.”
Jill reflects. “How others
viewed me suddenly
became very important;
as my sense of value and
self-worth had always
depended on external
factors like physical ap-
pearance, career success,
or popularity on social
media.”
After months of men-
tal work, Jill began to
realize that her identity
should not come from
her status, what others
thought about her, or
how she looked. Her
awareness of this was
the first step towards
finding her identity
again.
It was during this
time of re-evaluation
and self discovery that
Jill turned to Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy
for help. CBT is a type
of psychotherapy where
a person's negative
thought patterns about
themselves or the world
around them are chal-
lenged. By challenging
these thoughts, unwant-
ed behaviours can be
changed, self-sabotaging
habits broken and symp-
toms of depression or
low self-esteem greatly
reduced.
After learning about
CBT Jill applied its
principals to her own
life, gaining back her
self-confidence and
finding new meaning
and purpose. Now she
embraces the imperfec-
tions in her life that
once contributed to
her struggles. She has
decided to specialize in
CBT and is now offering
this therapy to her own
clients. Incorporat-
ing it into her coaching
methods has allowed her
to help others overcome
obstacles that have im-
peded their growth and
prevented them from
reaching their goals.
She also has aspirations
to help others cope
with life after the stage,
whether they are just
finishing their first show
or they are Pro card
holders that are retiring
from the spotlight for
good.
“Unfortunately there
isn’t any kind of service
out there right now that
can help people cope
with the struggles that
come after stepping off
of the stage. Most coach-
es are there right up
until show day but then
disappear afterwards,
leaving no support or
guidance on how to
resume normal life.”
Jill’s goal is to help
these people find them-
selves again, discover
their purpose and avoid
illnesses common to
bodybuilders such as
depression and eating
disorders. Her aim is to
support them through
their time of transition
and provide the guid-
ance required to move
forward with a happy
and healthy lifestyle.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
WITH JILL BUNNY
What did you find most
difficult about retiring
from competition life?
A: The most difficult
thing about retiring was
the feeling of losing my
identity. Competing was
great—having an incred-
ible title beside my name,
and being known on social
media as an athlete... but
when I left competing, I
actually felt I had lost my
identity, because I lost the
role that once defined me;
Jill Bunny IFBB Bikini
Champion. This left an
empty space in my life,
leading to increased levels
of general anxiety, low
self-esteem, depression,
a loss of self-confidence,
social anxiety, isolation,
and a sense of loneliness.
What one piece of
advice would you give
to someone that is hav-
ing trouble coping with
retirement?
A: Getting what you
want from life now that
you have moved on from
competing, whether it’s
a successful business,
maintaining your fit
frame, or having a happy
family, requires planning.
And once you have a plan,
you must stick to it. This
requires motivation and
commitment. You already
have the capability to
make that commitment—
otherwise you wouldn’t
have been a competitor.
Regardless of your goals,
you need to stay motivat-
ed along the way. To set
yourself up for success,
you need to keep yourself
focused and on task. So
here are is my top tip on
how to cope with retire-
ment: Remember Your
“Why”. Keep reminding
yourself of your why:
why you started to work
on yourself, and what
inspires you to continue.
Once you know your why,
write down the reasons
why it is good for you.
As an example, my
“why” is to stay healthy
and fit. I work out because
it increases my energy,
keeps me happy and posi-
tive, allows me to have
my own “me time”, and
reduces my MS symp-
toms.”
Why do you feel that
CBT is so beneficial,
specifically to body
builders?
A: The problem with the
competing world is that
athletes often lack the
skills necessary to ef-
fectively maintain a strict
diet and exercise regimen.
Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy (CBT) for com-
petitors can help athletes
develop the skills neces-
sary to be more successful
with lasting behaviour
change. It can help with
things like; motivation,
coping with cravings,
recognizing and eliminat-
ing emotional eating and
creating realistic goals.
What are your plans for
the future?
A: It might sound silly, es-
pecially after all the things
I have accomplished… but
I plan to do exactly what I
am doing right now; living
and embracing each and
every day as if it were my
last. I will take opportu-
nities as they come, but
will make sure I remain
grounded and balanced
along the way.
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