Managing stress is a critical part of achieving success. To be successful, we start with a goal in mind and then pursue it. But pursuing any goal brings doubt, fear, and frustration. And stress. Releasing stress has to happen in order to take the actions needed to achieve your dreams.
In life, we all find mechanisms to handle stress. For myself, the primary way I release stress is through running. Physical activity is a very effective method to release stress. Running has been so helpful it has become a part of my identity in addition to being stress relief.
Running has been a part of my life for over 20 years. I’ve had highs and lows. A few hiatuses when pregnant and with newborns. But very few injuries. Once I got injured but only one time. It has been a steady companion throughout all of my adult years.
But now I’ve been fighting an injury for almost a year. Last winter I hurt my hip and back in a freak sledding accident (okay it was a stupid move, but let’s not talk about that 😀). It has been up and down throughout 2021 to lace my shoes up and hit the roads and trails.
I ran the fewest miles ever last year, not even reaching a thousand miles. It was a tough year, but after a lot of physical therapy and self-care, I could finally run regularly again as 2021 wrapped up.
January 1, 2022, I had my best run in months. January 2, the trend continued. Then came January 3rd. As I was getting ready for work, I pull a muscle in my back and messed up my hip again. Three days into the new year, the year I hoped would bring back my favorite pastime, and I got derailed again.
Fortunately, I am mending quicker this time, but it is hard when you can’t do something you love. Running isn’t just something I do, it is a part of who I am. And when it is taken from me, I lose a piece of my identity.
There is a fear that I can never run the same again. I am afraid that this part of my life is lost forever. But I can choose to wallow in my sorrow or I can choose to believe something else.
That is the thing about loss and about life. We get to choose how we think about everything. It is all about perspective.
On one hand, I could think about losing my identity. I could believe that I can never manage stress again or find joy in life.
Or I can think I will run my favored long distances again with the right treatments and work.
When you can’t do what you love, you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. This applies to any situation. Maybe your boss removed responsibilities from your job description that you enjoyed. Or you traded a short commute for a long one to get a promotion. Rather than indulging in self-pity, instead:
- Remember what you can still do: I can run short distances, walk, hike, swim, do yoga, and do so many more activities. My body is rebelling against one form of physical activity, but it is still capable of so much.
- Identify potential solutions: Physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, and yoga all bring me closer to my goal of getting back in my running shoes for good.
- Embrace the long run: An injury may sideline me for a time, but I have years ahead of me to regain what I lost, and I am committed to a lifetime of running rather than a short-term gain.
- Learn Your Lesson: Every failure, every setback, is there to teach us a lesson. I have learned to be more careful sled riding, but more so, to embrace all that my body provides me, not just running.
Allowing yourself to play the victim will only keep you stuck and the result will continue to be a loss of what you loved. When you can reframe it you can take action and maintain relentless forward progress. And if I can do it, so can you.
