Injuries are the bane of any athlete’s existence, and while there are plenty of things that you can do to prevent them, they’ll pop up at one point or another. While some injuries can be minor annoyances that keep you out of the game for a bit, and others can potentially be career-ending, they can still be a low blow to your mental health and place you in a stressful situation. This article will show you how you can learn how to be more resilient following injury so that you can keep your head up and move forward.
Shift Your Goal Post
Although it’s contingent on the type of injury, the vast majority of them don’t necessarily mean that you should give up. In reality, they’re usually just a setback, and there are ways to keep working towards something even if it means changing your goals.
Injuries are awful, and you might miss out on some events, but there’s no sense in dwelling on them and wondering what could have been if it didn’t happen. Instead, it’s best to find alternatives to try to find solutions to get you back in the game.
There are a lot of resources available that can help you physically and mentally rehabilitate yourself in the meantime, but it’s possible that you might come back better than ever.
You can most likely find other effective ways to exercise and keep managing a healthy diet which can also make a big difference in how you feel too and can help you stay energized and motivated to keep moving forward.
Explore Other Hobbies
Sports and training might be what you live for, but if you’ve been injured and can’t perform to your fullest, you can use this opportunity to invest your time and energy into other pursuits that can help lift you up.
Not only will other recreational activities keep your mind occupied, it can be very relaxing and reduce your stress and anxiety, which can come with feeling uncertain about your future.
When we are stressed, we can feel physically and mentally tense, and learning how to loosen up can make it easier for your body to repair itself.
Therefore, in addition to exploring fun hobbies you can try other things that are specifically designed to help you relax, like mindfulness meditation.
Create A Support System
If you’ve been feeling alone and trapped in your own head following a difficult injury, you don’t have to be, and there are various ways to find support from others and keep your spirits up.
For example, friends and family will always be there for you, and spending time with them and enjoying their company can also be very relaxing and therapeutic.
On a related note, counseling or therapy can also be a very useful way to cope with the challenges that come with being injured. The odds are, some thoughts of doubt or other negative thinking patterns have crossed your mind following your injury, and these can be tricky to deal with on your own.
If you are feeling stressed, depressed, anxious, or dealing with other unhelpful types of thoughts, BetterHelp is just a click away and can help you overcome them and bring your focus back towards things that are positive and productive. Read more about BetterHelp today!
Conclusion
If you’ve been recently injured, it’s important that you start to see yourself continuing to succeed, even if the worst has happened and you can’t play anymore. Gaining new perspective will be essential to overcoming an injury one way or another and hopefully, these tips will get you on the right track to getting the most out of a bad situation and coming out of it stronger.
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
