We all know there are five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. At the risk of sounding crass, when an injury occurs and keeps you from doing the activity or hobby you so dearly love, you will, in a way, grieve.
I’m here to tell you it’s okay. You’ll get through it. You will ride/run/jump again! Having come out of debilitating injury twice now in one season, I’m in a fairly solid position to give advice on how to rehabilitate and recover through the grieving process. And hey, once you’re on the other side and you’ve gotten to acceptance, it will only be a short time before you’re resuming normal activity. Hallelujah!
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1. Do what you can with what you have.
After you go through the first four stages of grief, you’ll finally land on acceptance. This is when you’ll say to yourself, “Selfie! We can’t sit around feeling sorry for ourselves any longer. It’s time to get this show on the road!” And know what’ll happen? You’ll join a gym and take up swimming because you can’t run. And you’ll like it.
2. Don’t focus on what you can’t do.
To effectively get through stages 1 through 4 of the grieving process, it’s critical to look ahead and not focus on the issue at hand. The more you focus on what you’re unable to do, the harder it will be to move on and do what you need to do to get healthy.
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| Image source. |
3. Work on other areas of fitness where you’ve neglected or seek improvement.
You’re injured? Now is a great time to pick up your yoga practice you’ve all but neglected since April! Get in there. Dust off your poor, dejected yoga mat rolled up in the corner. Wipe down your yoga block. Follow some power vinyasa videos on YouTube. Make it happen.
4. Don’t count the days! Make the days count.
There’s nothing worse than staring at the calendar, counting down the days until you’re “healed.” This is the trap many of us fall in — we ask our doctors, “how long?” And they spit back an arbitrary number. Some say 2-3 months. Others may say, “maybe a few days.” The truth is, no one knows. Your doctor can be the best in their field, but know what? Doctors are wrong. A lot. They have a leg up on you, the lay person seeking medical attention for an injury, but only your body knows when it will be healed and ready to resume activity. Don’t count the days. Make the days count and do something fun instead. Family bike ride, anyone?
5. Try something new!
Now that you’re not in training, it’s time to try something new! Maybe you’ve been eyeing a self defense class. Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to try CrossFit. Now’s the time. So long as it’s safe for your injury, go for it. Carpe diem!
6. Eat all the candy. Not.
Yeah. Don’t do this. If you’re injured and it’s almost Halloween (ahem…), hide the candy. Lock it up. Give it to your coworkers. Do NOT feel sorry for yourself and binge eat all the chocolate!! This is not okay!!
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| Jack O’Lanterns look evil for a reason: there’s too much candy in there!! |
7. Stay active.
Staying active will improve your recovery, mood, and transition back into your sport. The more active you are, the easier it will be to get back into the swing of things once you’re cleared to resume activity. Plus, it’ll keep you from a) eating all the candy and b) regressing in the phases of grief.
8. Take care of yourself but don’t nurse your injury when it’s otherwise unnecessary.
There’s something to be said for nursing an injury when it’s necessary. But then there’s those of us that limp around wearing bandages for no apparent reason. You want sympathy. I totally get it. Why not milk it for a while, right? Wrong. I caution you from over-nursing injuries for myriad reasons but namely because it really does you no good and could actually end up hurting you in the end. If you’re swollen and you’re allowed to take ibuprofen, do it. But if it’s been more than a day or two, lay off the drugs. Chances are they’re not helping you to heal and if you’re still swollen after this much time, it’s time to seek medical advice.
9. Get some sleep!
Again, you’re not training. Go to bed. Sleep later than you’re used to. Take advantage of this newfound expendable time you have on your hands. It’ll be glorious! And when it’s time to start working out again, you’ll be refreshed, energized, and ready to go.
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| This could be YOU! (source) |
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Hey! Did you see that? You did all that stuff I mentioned above, effectively moved through the grieving process, and now it looks like you’ve been taken off injured reserve! Way to go, champ. I knew you could do it.
xo
What’s one activity you found out you LOVED because you were forced to try something new?
What’s one way you move through grief when you’re sidelined by injury?
