Hello Athletes!
I just wanted to reach out and offer some words of encouragement and support. These are crazy, unpredictable, anxiety producing times for sure. Although we don’t yet see the light at the end of the tunnel, we know for a fact that the sun always rises, and spring always comes. We will get through this, and there actually could be an opportunity to come out stronger. It seems that there’s never enough time, things are alway so busy, and life is so fast paced. Well, this virus has certainly slowed things down.
Of course there's a part of me that wants to freak out and imagine all the worst possibilities and how bad it's going to be, but when I feel it creep up, I refuse to give it space in my head. Instead, I focus on positive things, big or little. A few examples in this moment, being able to do workouts, to do laundry, to do yard work outside, to support my clients, to use up food that's been hanging in my cupboards/freezer for a while, and to spend extra free time studying, so I can come out stronger and better on the other side of this.
What’s an important way that you can come out stronger? What could make the most impact for you? Here are some ideas to see if any resonate with you:
-Practice ways to manage anxiety, like journaling, meditating, deep breathing
-Train more consistently
-Spend more time on strength/flexibility
-Find ways to connect more with your kids
-Learn new recipes and practice meal planning
-Purge things that you no longer use
-Review finances, and discontinue any memberships etc that you no longer use
-Study something that you’ve been interested in for a while
I have stress and fears like everyone else, but just like I do when I’m preparing for a race, I’m focusing on the things that are within my control. In addition, here are tips from the Association of Applied Sport Psychology on ways to manage life and emotions during these stressful times.
Let me know if you have tips for things that are already helping you to get through each day, or if there’s anything I can do to support you.