How to Stay Positive During an Injury
Unfortunately, it’s all too common that an athlete finds herself injured at some point in her career. This shouldn’t necessarily be the case because I believe many injuries are preventable, but however it happened or whatever injury you have, one of the crucial aspects of the healing process is your attitude. There will be times when you cry, when you’re frustrated, when you’re flat out angry at everything, jealous of everyone else who gets to play, and just downright blue. The key is to not sulk in these feelings for too long because you won’t put in the appropriate work needed to be done. If you’re injured right now, I’m sorry, I feel for you, and I’m here to give you some tips on how to stay positive during an injury.
Focus on Little Wins
The beginning phase of any injury is rough. If you’re sitting in a sling or walking on crutches or laying there with a huge, swollen ankle it can be daunting to think about how long it will take to get fully back. Yes that is the end goal, but you must have little goals and wins along the way to keep you going. During the first part of my rehab I would get excited that my shoulder had a little more range of motion than the day before. Or that I could walk around the block with my sling on without my shoulder hurting from it being a little jostled around. And then the day I got my sling off was a win. And then the day I could brush my own hair. And then the day I could reach behind my back. You see where I’m going with this. You have to focus on the little victories and getting a tiny bit better each week. One thing I wanted to make sure I did at each stage of my rehab was document my progress so I could have something to look back on down the road and say, “Wow, look how far I’ve come.” I highly suggest taking videos and pictures at each stage to help you stay motivated when you feel like you’ve hit a plateau.
Eyes on The Prize
It’s helpful to write down your goals and your ultimate vision. Perhaps even create a vision board to visually see your goal in front of you every day. Where do you ultimately want to end up? What impact do you want to have in your sport/life? Keeping these in mind will help you to keep going when your motivation dips and frustration gets the best of you. And use the little wins as stepping stones to your ultimate vision.
Have a Plan Written Out
At the beginning of my rehab, I had to do my exercises 3 times a day. Then it went to 2 times a day, but more exercises. It was hard to keep track of everything, especially when my PT would add new exercises every week. What helped me was writing out every single exercise I had to do daily in a spreadsheet so I had to physically check everything off. This also held me accountable to do every little stretch or mobility exercise that didn’t seem as important (reality check- they’re all important). Physically checking off each thing was a good way to keep me motivated and make sure I wasn’t cutting any corners.
Use This Time to Focus on Other Ways to Get Better
Yes I re-read the Harry Potter series and re-watched The Office for the 100th time when I was in my sling. But being injured is also a good time to focus on other ways to get better. You are rarely given the gift of time where you physically have to rest, so use it to get better in other ways. Read a lot of books, watch video, focus on nutrition, and learn from the greats. I watched The Last Dance documentary about Michael Jordan when I was in my sling, and even though it’s not about my sport directly, we can still learn so much from the best of the best. I also started coaching during months 3-5 of my rehab. I took a coaching course online and watched so many volleyball coaching videos that helped me not only be a better coach but will help me on the playing side as well. Use this time to get better in whatever way you can, but have a little grace with yourself and know that it’s ok to balance that with some fun to help keep you sane.
Use This Time to Focus on Hobbies
As athletes, it’s easy to forget that sports are not our entire identity. We spend our whole lives training and dedicating everything to our sport to be the best we can, but at some point it will be taken away from us. So, use this time recovering as a chance to explore your other interests! Depending on your injury and what your hobby is, you physically might not be able to do it, but you can find other things that interest you to keep you occupied. Music, photography, art, knitting, you name it! I started Shine On Volley during my early rehab. Whatever it is, remember that you are more than an athlete, so start exploring other things you like to do.
Community is Key!
Injuries can be very isolating. My sister made fun of me and called me a ghoul because I literally lived in a dark basement in a recliner for a month. Don’t think you need to go through this by yourself!! Reach out to your support system if you are feeling low. Even if you’re feeling good it’s best to go through this with other people supporting you and cheering you on. You’re not alone, don’t shut people out, and if you feel like you don’t have any support feel free to reach out to me! I’m more than willing to help.
I hope you find this post encouraging if you are currently going through an injury or recovering from surgery. It’s heartbreaking at first, but you must keep carrying on if you want to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m fortunate to almost be at the other side of my recovery, and these things above truly helped me get to where I am now- almost at full strength with no pain. Keep the faith, trust that your body knows what it’s doing, and give it the time it needs to heal. Stay connected and follow along on Insta for more!