I’m injured & can't run….So now what???

We all know that it really sucks when we get injured and are not able to train like we want to. This can be a challenging time for us and can impact on our well-being and mood. So, what can we do during these times, to keep us from getting irritable and frustrated!

1, Focus on what we can do

Our minds are programmed to assess for threat and so it makes sense that when we are unable to do something we enjoy, we can get stuck in a loop focusing on the things we are NOT able to do. Try and shift that mindset to things that we CAN do such as swimming, cycling or strength training as these will still have an impact on maintaining our cardiovascular fitness.

2, Journaling

Externalising how we feel on paper is a powerful daily activity to incorporate in our routine. Writing down how we feel whether this be frustration or sadness can support us in releasing these emotions. We are all good battling through when times get tough, but this means that we build up multiple layers of emotions at a time when one of our best strategies for dealing with them is not available to us. After we have vented, it can be helpful to recognise that it is totally natural for us to feel this way. It can shift our mood if we end our journaling focusing on three things, we are grateful for.

3, Do something for you

Just because we can’t run right now does not mean we are not able to use this time for things we find uplifting. We can use this time wisely to find new things that we would not usually have time to invest in. This could be a new course, reading about something we are interested in or simply catching up with friends that we have not seen for a while. Think of this time as protected time for you…not time to catch up on household chores!

4, Work on those weaknesses to become stronger

There are usually areas of training that we neglect when we can run, but now we have some time, these can be ways that we can improve our strength for when we make our big comeback!!! Exercises to improve our upper strength, flexibility and core strength can all mean that we are reducing the risk of future injuries and can make us stronger runners.

Whilst being injured is never something we would want to happen, using this time to enhance our wellbeing in different ways can add strategies to our toolbox that can benefit future runs. We need to be patient as our bodies repairs and wait for the time when we are back out there, as we will appreciate this more than ever!

This article was written by Dr Sarah Berger, Senior Clinical Psychologist, co-owner of Stressed Out to Feeling Fabulous & long standing member of the Running Woman community