As most of you know, fitness has always been in my life, my stress relief. Fitness is where I go when I’m happy, sad, down -in other words - it is part of my self-care daily. But ror the next few weeks I will have a new focus. Assisting my body in the healing process. I’ll be walking the walk - (so to speak) in strengthening other aspects of my life - ok, but also maybe work on my pull up strength (which I would always think is my weak link) during a break in my life routine.
You can visit my you tube for my video blog of my current experience with dealing with my genetically necessary hip replacement.
It doesn’t matter where and how your physical injury started – genetics, car accident, the gym, – but if you’re currently unable to engage in your normal routine, here are some thoughts today that will help you survive your recent setback. Not just survive… but, rather, thrive in it. Why not make the most of this new (and, hopefully, short) chapter in your life?!
THERE’S AN ULTIMATE PLAN FOR OUR LIVES.
There’s only so much we can control in our day-to-day lives. Which is why I’m starting this list with God (or higher power or Universe or whatever it is for YOU that is, ultimately, bigger than us). Whatever setback you’re dealing with right now, it’s part of your journey. You have to believe you are on the right path – no matter what. Trust.
CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE, IMMEDIATELY.
You’ve got to think about how you’re dealing with this. Throwing a pity party will never serve you. Let’s be real, no matter how physical or non physical you are every day, you will have a physical setback at some point in your life. It’s just part of the human experience.
REMEMBER, NOTHING AMAZING HAS EVER HAPPENED IN YOUR LIFE WITHOUT A CHALLENGE. ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE IS BY HAVING SOME PERSPECTIVE. LET’S FACE IT, IF YOU HAVE A PHYSICAL INJURY… THAT MEANS YOU’RE ALIVE. AND THAT’S PRETTY PHENOMENAL.
KEEP YOUR ROUTINE.
Now that you have a physical setback, there’s probably certain things you can’t do – impacting your usual daily life in whatever capacity. It’s crucial to, as best you can, keep as much of your normal routine as possible.
For example, one of the things that makes me feel really centered is having the same wake up time every day. I’m not going to stop that just because I’ll be on crutches.
Routine prevents you from slipping into a negative mindset. Regardless of your new obstacle, take a look at the pieces of your routine that tend to keep you in a good frame of mind and figure out how you can keep them going.
GET STRONGER IN OTHER AREAS.
You might continue to wonder, “Why oh why would I have this physical setback?” Well, maybe it’s meant to teach you something. Listen, there’s always an opportunity to get stronger.
Maybe that’s in figuring out a more consistent way to meditate or improve your mental strength or better your relationships or learn a new language or pick up an instrument, etc. When you have a physical setback, you’ve got more time to do mental things. Where do YOU need to get strong? What do you need to get excited about? This is a great opportunity. Think about it.
HANDLE YOUR RECOVERY LIKE ITS YOUR JOB
Use this time to focus on helping your body recovery. Lets look at your sleep habits, getting the proper nutrition to help your body re-build. Your self-care routine can be a way of assisting your body with the ultimate task of coming back stronger.
Ultimately, I hope that you now have some understanding on both dealing with a physical setback and also thriving from it. You’ve got to find the excitement behind your new challenge, see the opportunities, look for the silver lining, and KNOW the growth that’s possible. Because, let’s face it, unless your life has always been about sitting on your butt all day… injury is something we all should expect to happen, eventually. And, hey, you’re going to get through it with flying colors!