How to mentally cope with running injury depression.
Injuries. Gosh they are tough to cope with as runners aren’t they. We are glad you’ve found our guide on how to mentally cope with injury and we hope it helps you today and over the coming weeks as you manage and recover from your injury.
Whether you’re reading because you are facing a running injury or another sporting injury the mental challenge is tough and can easily lead to running injury depression. We know it can grate away at your well-being and also tempt you to return to running (or sport) before your body is actually ready. So we have pulled together a list of tips to help youmentally cope and stay positive
Injuries are for a short time but your body is forever.
We have been there too. We know how tricky it is when you can’t do the thing you love and enjoy and that keeps you fit and well. You are desperate to know how do you overcome injuries. But it’s important to be patient with an injury – this will help you mentally cope with injury periods. When you are feeling low, and tempted to push it stop resting, not wait until you’re pain free – just keep bringing your thoughts back to the fact that it will pass and for the sake of one or two or even 6 more weeks – you really could give yourself a permanent injury.
And then imagine how frustrated and upset you will be. We know this isn’t a huge consolation but it should be a cautionary reminder that a good way to mentally cope with injury is to go easy on yourself and body.
What is your why?
Why do you run? Is it for fitness, for competition, for headspace for fresh air? Whatever the reason is for you, you can try and find another activity that will give you that fix.
It is easier to mentally cope with injury if you can stay active in other ways.
Can’t run but you are able to walk as it’s lower impact? Do that. Use running to keep fit, is there a bike you could use if your injury will allow? Or another kind of crosstraining? Could you swim, could you run in the pool?
Your fitness won’t vanish overnight
We know how hard you’ve worked to get your fitness up and your mind starts persuading you that it’s dropping off every single day you’re injured. How do injuries affect you mentally? Well, the psychology of injury is a tricky one! You have to keep those negative thoughts in check to mentally cope with injury.
Now as a runner, your aerobic fitness does drop quite quickly after a few days of inactivity BUT then it levels off and it doesn’t keep dropping. And because of your overall baseline of fitness you will return to fitness more quickly.
Also there are alternate non-running cardio exercise you can do whilst injured. And you can maintain the majority of your fitness with one high intensity work out a week.
A bike on a turbo trainer, light weights repeated as a cardio workout, swimming. So take heart.
Talk about it – how to mentally cope with injury
If you’ve been a runner for more than a few years you have likely had some injury or other. So please know that aren’t alone. So do reach out to your sporting community or running friends and share your frustrations. It won’t make the injury heal any quicker but it will help those mental demons getting you down. Also they can share how they recovered and came back from injury and it will act as encouragement to you.
Make future running plans
Your mind can start you thinking that this temporary injury situation is forever. So you can change this by planning for the future. Several months down the line the frustration you feel now will be a memory. What do you enjoy about running? Races? The social side of things? Make plans that reflect these positives. Book onto an exciting race for next year. Contact your running club for social activities if the social side is what motivates you. Get some new running kit on order for your recover journey. Take actions that show your brain you know that this is going to pass.
Believe in your body
The very good news is that your body has an amazing ability to repair itself. Everyone heals at their own rate – and it really depends person to person – but patience is key.