Being injured is the worst. And it’s not just about the body.
Yeah, there is some actual pain involved. However, for most athletes, the worst part of getting hurt isn’t the body. It’s almost everything else. The daily routine that suddenly goes missing. Confidence that begins to waver. Watching your team practice from the sidelines, wearing a boot or a sling, and questioning where you fit in at the moment.
Athletes who live to move, compete, and challenge themselves can often feel like their whole world comes to a screeching halt when forced to take time off due to injury.
Here’s something important to remember: An injury does not eliminate your ability to grow as an athlete. It simply forces you to change how you train.
The work does not stop. It changes.
What Are Some Options While You Can’t Train?
One of the most significant mindsets at Mental Masters Athlete that we reinforce to create positive change is this: Stop constantly focusing on “what can’t I do?” and begin to ask “what can I still train today?”
Asking that one question can completely flip the script on how you approach the situation.
Before you consider doing ANYTHING, please follow the advice of your medical professionals (doctor, athletic trainer, physical therapist). Please don’t rely solely on instinct. Impatience is NOT strength. Patience is strength.
Once you have confirmation regarding what activities are permitted by your medical professionals, THEN YOU WILL WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE!
Can’t Run? Perhaps you can swim. Or bike. Row. Or do some upper-body work. Right now, perhaps it’s just about working on your mobility, stability, breathing, or rehabilitation exercises. Your workout plan likely won’t resemble what your typical day-to-day workout looked like. That’s okay. The objective here is not to try to force your typical workout routine prior to allowing your body to recover. The focus is to find ways to continue making forward progress that support your body recovering versus potentially causing further damage to your body.
Sometimes Rest Is All You Have To Do
At times you may be unable to train whatsoever. Period.
Don’t worry. That is okay.
Rest is not nothing. Athletes who are accustomed to pushing themselves physically often view rest as passive — and sometimes even weak. If rest is necessary for your recovery, then rest is discipline. It is your homework. How you view rest as discipline will matter.
Recovery and Athletic Development Are Not Mutually Exclusive
When your body is unable to perform physically, your mind should still be able to work:Injury creates so much more than just pain for athletes. There is frustration, boredom, fear of losing ground, a decrease in confidence, and a sense of separation from their team. At times, an existential crisis may occur: Who Am I If I’m Not Competing?
This is precisely why mental preparation/mental training while you are injured is NOT optional– it is crucial.
Visualization.
Visualization is one of the best tools you have available to utilize right now. Imagine yourself performing at peak levels — maintaining composure under extreme pressure — performing with confidence. Visualizing mentally is not a replacement for physically preparing for competition — but it is certainly better than NOTHING! Consistently visualizing reinforces your connection to your sport, which could result in returning from injury feeling significantly more comfortable than you thought possible.
Film Study.
Just because you are watching film does not mean you are studying film. Watch and STUDY.
Analyze every aspect of your position, including decision-making, timing, body language, how elite competitors manage pressure, and react after mistakes. If you spend enough quality time analyzing film, the time you are out with an injury can develop into a very intense season of increasing your overall Game IQ.
Breathing Techniques & Self-Talk.
Simply using breathing techniques can calm your nervous system when frustration or anxiety arises due to your current state of injury. Your self-talk plays a huge role in your emotional energy level as well. Many athletes who experience injuries tend to be extremely critical of themselves (I am falling behind — I’ll never get back — everybody is passing me).
Please keep in mind, the goal is not artificial positivity — rather grounded, honest self-talk such as: This sucks, but I can handle it. My job right now is to heal and stay engaged. I am still progressing — my progression just happens to appear differently right now.
You are not denying reality — you are practicing mental discipline.
Winning Means Something Completely Different When Your Body Isn’t Feeling Like Working — And That’s Alright
The usual definition of “winning” (PRs, playtime, large competitions) may not apply while you’re injured. Instead of competing, “winning” becomes about following your rehabilitation process. Taking care of yourself by being patient, attending treatment sessions, keeping a positive mental state on difficult days, and being involved in the recovery process as much as possible. Even though it is not easy, “winning” also involves finding small victories every day.
Athletic Development = Rehab Process
There are some athletes who will return to action after an injury not only completely healed, but genuinely improved — they’ll be more aware of themselves, more disciplined, more resilient, and mentally tougher for the competitive grind. This won’t happen simply due to their injury alone. Rather, it’s the manner in which they reacted to the injury that contributed to these improvements.
Are you injured and don’t know how to keep yourself in the game? Reach out to us, and we can help you figure it out.