Category: Injury Recovery

Finding Balance: My Journey to Mental Wellness

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” – Carl Jung

As we moved into 2025, I took a much-needed mental health break from blogging. I focused my energy instead on personal reflection and growth. Coming off a difficult injury recovery, I knew that I wasn’t in a good place and needed that time. I had a micro tear in the arch of my foot, which was not responding to PT. Could it be that I was not going to bounce back this time? Was this part of the aging process? Would I no longer be able to engage in the activities I loved? Would I live in constant pain?

Choosing to step away and focus on my wellness was a hard, but necessary decision. I needed to put myself first and ensure that I didn’t give up on the journey to reclaim my health. I had done that when I gave up running, after my last marathon. This led me to the unhealthiest point in my life – overweight, stressed and depressed.

Healing Plan

In January 2025, I went to my doctor frustrated and in tears. I told him candidly that I needed to find something to help me heal this foot. I told him how hard it was not to be able to engage in the activities I loved. I expressed clearly that it was affecting my mental wellness. I needed a plan of action to heal my foot, because I still had pain with gentle walking.

We discussed alternative treatments that I could try and I settled on dry needling and electric stimulation. By February, after painful dry needling, I was able to walk without a limp. The PT gave me the green light to try gentle yoga classes and see how the foot felt. I then added a beginner Barre class, which offered great stretching of the foot. By late February, I walked back on the pickleball court for the first time in months.

Self-Reflection

During the months I was struggling, I engaged in a lot of self-reflection and journaling. Self-reflection can help you get unstuck by giving you a clearer understanding of what’s holding you back. By examining your thoughts and feelings, you can identify patterns or fears that are keeping you from moving forward. It helps you recognize your strengths and areas where you might need improvement. By understanding these aspects, you can set realistic goals and take action to achieve them.

Reflecting on my history, I realized that my identity was strongly tied to my ability to engage in sports. When that was removed, I tended to give up on living a healthy lifestyle. It also affected my mental wellness and confidence. Therefore, my motivation was coming from external sources, not intrinsic sources.

I believed my pursuit of wellness was driven by my commitment to health, but discovered it was fueled by my need to compete. Therefore, rooted under all that was my need to be valued. This understanding has helped me set healthier sports goals as I move forward. It’s definitely a work in progress, but I am making better choices when planning my fitness goals these days.

Begin Your Self-Reflection Journey

As in my case, starting a self-reflection journey can be transformative. Here are three tools that helped me, and can help you, to get started on your journey.

1. Set Aside Regular Time: Dedicate a specific time each day or week for self-reflection. Choose a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted, allowing yourself the space to think clearly and deeply about your experiences and feelings.

This was hard for me, but early morning seems to work best. I need to have the house alone to truly have space to self-reflect without distraction.

2. Start a Reflection Journal: Write down your thoughts, experiences, and emotions in a journal. Reflect on what happened, how you felt, and what you learned from your experiences. This process not only helps in organizing your thoughts but also provides a reference for observing patterns over time.

I purchased journals in bulk to always have on hand. I used a separate journal for self-reflection.

3. Ask Yourself Reflective Questions: Use guiding questions to delve deeper into your thoughts and actions. Questions like “What did I learn today?”, “What am I grateful for?”, or “What could I have done differently?” can help you explore different aspects of your experiences and gain new insights.

In my case, I asked, “When have I felt like this before?”, “What could I have done differently?”.

Reflections on My Journey to Heal

Reflecting on my journey through injury and self-discovery, I’ve come to appreciate the impact of self-reflection on my personal growth. By taking a step back, I’ve set myself on a path toward a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. While the journey is ongoing, I am empowered by the self-awareness I’ve gained, which will guide my wellness journey.

Whether you’re facing similar challenges, or starting self-reflection, every step moves you toward a healthier self. Please share your experiences in the comment section to inspire and connect with us all. As always, feel free to reach out to me directly at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog.

Understanding the Injury Recovery Cycle: A Personal Journey

I’ve been taking a much needed mental health break these past few weeks, enjoying some down time. I received some bad news from the doctor regarding my injury recovery just prior to Thanksgiving. Hearing the words, degenerative damage, really sent me spiraling. I had been trying to hold on and push through, so hearing those words felt like a gut punch. Ironically, as bad as it was to hear, it was what I needed to move forward.

I’ve really been in a rut this last month. As my recovery time wore on, I became quite frustrated and deflated. I spent a lot of time trying to kick start my motivation and couldn’t quite get anything going. Having been through this before, I recognized that my mental wellness was suffering. While quite common during injury recovery, that should not be underestimated.

My thoughts recently have centered around injury recovery time and mental wellness of athletes. I am not a high level athlete, but I have always enjoyed participating in sporting events and working out. I thrive when I train and engage in these events, physically and mentally. I think it is the structure of training that fuels me. I love to workout for a purpose – i.e., to run longer distances, or run a distance in a shorter time. I strive to lift a heavier weight or to add a set to the lift. Knowing the end goal really pushes me to do the work.

Recently, I had been focused on my performance in pickleball. I’ve been working out at the gym to improve my performance, as well as drilling and playing games. I made steady progress and was truly enjoying the sport. It felt great to be part of the pickleball community. When the injury occurred, I assumed it would be a quick recovery. As the time passed and I still experienced pain, I began to try to navigate my way through.

I’ve come to understand that there is a cycle many athletes go through when recovering from injury. It doesn’t matter what level you are, though I imagine it’s far worse when you are an elite athlete. What matters is that, much grief, there are stages you move through as you work toward recovery. The mental aspect of this process is what I have been focusing on.

I have a competitive personality. I thrive when I am striving to accomplish a goal. I love to figure things out and especially love the learning process of it all. When I was a runner, I wanted to learn everything I could to make me a better runner. Same, in my professional life. I was always striving to learn and grow. My personal identity was strongly tied to my ability to run the distance, or improve my school. With an athlete mindset, I dealt with life through my sport, it is part of who I was. I was a runner, I was a Principal, I was an athlete.

The athletic part of my life became a strong coping mechanism for me, both growing up and as an adult. What a fabulous stress reliever to go out early in the morning for a long run, or workout. I started most of my days with an early morning gym session, run or walk. Therefore, when I get injured, it can feel like a personal threat to my identity. Suddenly, it feels like my life is altered and my routines disrupted. The morning athletic time is no longer an option, leaving me feeling isolated and sad.

I want to share my journey through this injury cycle. I hope it helps anyone else dealing with a similar situation.

Stages of Injury Cycle

Much like grief, there is a cycle people can experience when they experience an injury. Those, like me, who engage in training outside of professional sports, are no exception. The cycles do not necessarily follow a linear order. Instead, we go through them in response to our personal experiences. Here are the stages and my response to each.

1. Denial

The day I sustained the injury, I knew it wasn’t good. But, I thought if I stretched, I would be fine. When stretching did not help, I knew enough to leave the court. I went home and iced my foot, followed by compression and elevation. I thought for sure I’d be fine in the morning. I planned to take the next day off and expected to be ready to play by Saturday. I truly didn’t think it was anything serious. Honestly, I still haven’t canceled my playing commitments. I’m still going week by week, hoping to be back on the court. Denial of the injury is quite common and considered the first step in the recovery process.

2. Anger

As the days went on and turned into weeks, I started to get frustrated. I could barely walk to the corner without feeling pain. I didn’t understand why the pain wasn’t getting better and refused to stop trying to walk. Each day I got angrier about this inconvenience. I was angry at myself for not doing a proper warmup before playing and blamed myself for the injury. I was angry at my body for failing me. I was angry that I was missing so much playing time.

3. Bargaining

At this point, I was desperate to be done with the injury. I decided to rest for a few days and see if that improved my recovery. It was as if I said to my body, I’ll give you a week of rest, then will you heal? I remember thinking I just need to stop exercising entirely. I’ll recover quickly and it’ll be worth it. When that didn’t work out, I’ll admit I was back to anger. That’s what I say the cycles are not experienced in a linear fashion. When my bargain failed, I was right back to being angry. I was thinking, I gave you what you wanted, why are you not doing your part. It is quite frustrating!

4. Depression

Right before Thanksgiving I felt like I was at my lowest. It have been 8 weeks and I still wasn’t feeling better. Every day I had pain and I was ready to just give up. I remember hobbling in to the doctor’s office that morning and telling him I needed help. I shared with him everything I had done to improve and that nothing was working. I said there must be something he could recommend. I was on the verge of tears and said, soon I’ll be chubby and depressed. I will admit he was very patient with me and truly explained things to me. That is when degenerative issues came up. My feet have logged a lot of running miles. Many years of long distance running and training were not kind to my body.

5. Acceptance

This was the lowest point of my journey. I also think it was the moment that slapped sense into me. It felt like there was a moment of clarity for me here. I understood better the timeline and the reality of my injury. I also understood that it was not my fault entirely and I had done nothing wrong. As I drove home from the doctor’s office, I was extremely upset. When I got home, I got my gym bag packed and headed to the gym.

I decided that day, that I had to do something different. I was going down a slippery slope and needed to find something that wouldn’t cause pain. That day, I did something I’d been resisting. I put on my swim suit and got back in the pool to swim laps. I knew that meant I accepted my injury for what it was. I also knew that I still needed something athletic to engage in to improve my mental wellness. Swimming is something I’d done in the past when recovering from tendon repair surgery. I can’t say I love it, but it is very therapeutic and a great workout too.

Next Steps

I am two weeks past the news that this injury is way more than I anticipated. I have created a new schedule for my workouts. I have been able to lift weights throughout the injury, just modifying for anything that puts pressure on the foot. I’ve now added one mile lap swims two days a week. I also tried a Barre class locally and was able to do the class without pain.

My new routine has been so helpful for my mental wellness. I am focused on my recovery and finding ways to engage in movement is an essential component for me. I am now working out again, six days a week with one full day of rest. I started dry needling at the doctor’s recommendation. It is a bit painful, but I do feel it is helping.

My best advice is to find solace in setting new goals and focusing on other areas of your life. Injury recovery is tough, especially when you are used to being highly active. It is hard to accept that you are not able to just push through. Take that energy and use it to fuel your recovery. For me, setting new goals and focusing on other ways to move has been a lifeline.

I would be very interested to hear about your journey with injury. What have you found helped you the most? Please share in the comment section below, via email at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, or on Instagram.

The Importance of Rest in Injury Recovery

Recovering from an injury is not just about the physical recovery. It’s about giving your body and mind the time they need to heal. This is not easy, especially for people, like me, who are used to being highly active. I have always tried to push through and keep going, even when I know I shouldn’t. I knew at mile 20 of a marathon that I was injured and continued to the finish line anyway. This decision made things much worse. I’ve learned the hard way, that the most overlooked element of recovery is rest. Adequate rest allows the body to repair. Understanding the importance of rest is crucial for anyone, like me, seeking to heal and return to activity. It is also the hardest thing to do sometimes.

Why It Matters

Rest is crucial when you’re injured because it gives your body the time it needs to heal and repair itself. Rest also helps to reset the nervous system, improving focus and mental resilience. When you rest, your body can focus on the recovery process and rebuild strength. Overexerting yourself or returning to activity too soon, can delay your healing, exacerbate the injury, and lead to complications. Rest also helps prevent further stress on the affected area, giving it the optimal environment to recover fully. Rest is vital for mental recovery, as it can reduce stress. In short, proper rest is the foundation of any successful recovery.

Stay Positive

When resting during an injury, maintaining a positive mindset is key to preventing frustration and the urge to give up. I’m now struggling with this as time drags on. I find it helpful to focus on what I can do and celebrate the progress I make each day. Today I actually walked around the block without any pain in my foot! I’ve found that cultivating patience, self-compassion has helped me and I know it has built my resilience for future challenges.

Stay Focused

Staying positive and motivated to lose weight while resting due to an injury can be challenging. Nonetheless, it is possible with the right mindset and strategies. Here are some suggestions to help you stay focused and on track:

1. Focus on Nutrition

Since physical activity is limited, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet becomes even more important. Shift your attention to what you can control—your food choices. Plan meals that are rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you full and satisfied. Consider tracking your meals to stay accountable. I use the Cronometer app these days and find it to be very easy to navigate.

2. Set Small, Achievable Goals

Break your weight-loss goals into smaller, manageable steps. For example, focus on staying within a certain calorie range each day or preparing healthy meals in advance. Each time you hit one of these small milestones, take a moment to celebrate. Progress is progress, no matter how small.

3. Embrace Non-Physical Activities

Rest doesn’t mean inactivity. There are still ways to stay engaged with your fitness journey, even when you’re injured. Practice meditation, listen to podcasts or read books you’ve been wanting to read. Consider researching exercises you can do that are low-impact or gentle on your injury, like stretching, yoga, or deep breathing. This week, I purchased a new cookbook to try out some new recipes and signed up for a course.

4. Find Support and Accountability

Consider joining an online support group or connecting with a friend. Sharing your struggles and celebrating successes together can keep you accountable and motivated. Having someone to encourage you or share ideas with can also make the process feel less isolating.

By shifting your focus, celebrating small wins, and practicing patience, you can stay motivated to continue your weight loss journey.

Conclusion


In conclusion, resting when injured is not just a pause in your routine—it’s a crucial step in your recovery. Remember, healing is a process, and by prioritizing rest, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success. Give yourself that gift of time.

What strategies or mindset shifts have you used to stay motivated while you rest during an injury? Please share in the comment section below. We’d love to hear your ideas. If you’re more comfortable, email me at laurakump@reclaiminghealth.blog, or on Instagram @reclaiminghealthblog