Through my weekly Q &A’s and even more so when I was actively competing, one of the most widely touched on topics centered around recovery. But interestingly, the questions always seemed to dance around the bigger picture- HOW DO YOU RECOVER? Questions came up like...
“What’s your diet like?”
“How much do you sleep?”
”Do you use massage therapy (or insert any other modality in here)?”
”What do you do when you don’t want to train?”
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In Part 1, I covered morning/evening routines. In Part 2 I'll touch on nutrition and recovery methods. I have an idea for Part 3, but I'll leave that TBA. Read on folks...
To be completely transparent, I was going to write Part 3 about stress and stress management, but I didn't...because I was stressed and not managing it well. Anyone that says "Hey, listen to me, I have it figured out," is full of shit. They may have something figured out for themselves, but the true path can only be walked alone. Someone may show you "a" way, but it is never "the" way. The only "way" is your own way.
I digress...
Some stress management techniques that I'll use include:
Training
No shit, right? Well I haven't been training at all lately. And it's very apparent how therapeutic it has been for me throughout the course of my life.
Routine
This is one that I thought I hated, but in fact, I don't. I need it. Jocko Willink- "Discipline equals freedom." I hated the idea of this when I first heard it- it sounded so rigid. Then I let the idea roll around for awhile and came to realize that if you have no discipline, you are not in charge. Now understand at my core I think no one is really in control of anything besides your own mindset and perspective. That's the only thing you can truly control. But discipline goes a long way in relieving potentially stressful situations and realities in your future.
Meditation
15 minutes, twice per day. How? Close your eyes. Let thoughts come. Let thoughts go. Be a great observer of the way your mind thinks, and eventually come to understand it is not your mind at all.
Floatation
I've been truly lacking in this department in my fury to try to open my own place...irony.
Writing/journaling
I like to do this every morning but I seem to have gotten away from it also. I use "Wordsmith" cards when I don't have anything pressing on my mind. It doesn't matter what I write about. It's more for me to see where my mind is - are there any recurring thoughts? Is there anything that is not sitting well with me? Is there a why to all of that?
