You might also feel the absence of uplifting hormones. “There are a lot of endorphins and chemical changes that happen in our body when we exercise,” said Jared Vagy, a clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at the University of Southern California. “If that’s the only method that some people have to release those chemicals, then you’ve just lost a large part of what makes you complete as a human or satisfied.”
And recovery itself comes with additional mental hurdles. Damilola Gbolahan, a sports physiotherapist who works with injured soccer players, said that people often try to progress faster by overdoing physical therapy. And pushing too hard can have detrimental effects like “frustration, more stress and depression, which can also slow down recovery,” she said.
Despite the turbulent feelings that surface post-injury, our minds are likely working to regain a sense of order and stability, Dr. Skritskaya said. Here are a few ways to find agency and a little hope while you’re on the mend:
Track your recovery.
“It’s important to understand that you’re an athlete, and now your recovery is part of your sport,” said Carrie Jackson co-founder of The Injured Athletes Club, an online community for people who are currently sidelined from their favorite sports.
If you thrived on following a training plan, or enjoyed logging your gains in a calendar or a journal, keep that practice while you’re recovering. That way, you have a record of all the work you’ve been doing — and you’re treating rehabilitation as part of being an athlete.
Ms. Jackson also recommended listing recovery actions you need to stop, start and continue while you heal. For example, you may need to stop going on long walks, start a creative outlet that will keep you occupied and continue your physical therapy exercises.
This is a useful way to empower yourself when you feel discouraged by your injury. “It’s hard not to just focus on all the things you can’t do,” Ms. Jackson said. “It’s just a tool for refocusing on what’s actually in your control.”
Seek community.
Being with others who’ve faced similar experiences is a helpful way to navigate any form of grief. “Community is a big part of recovery. Even if we define a sport like running as a very individual sport, there is a very defined running culture,” Dr. Sacco said. “There’s a loss of community that comes from just not being in the same place at the same time for the same reasons.”
