There are times in our lives when we feel stuck or discouraged. This can be very true in the realm of improving your health, exercise routine, or walking through a recovery journey from surgery. Feelings can be powerful. Your thoughts play into the feelings and feelings into thoughts, which further intensifies everything. It can become a loop that keeps you stuck if you don’t take action to break it.

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After years of kickboxing, I had to have several hip surgeries and now following an injury I am going through shoulder recovery. After going through the hip surgeries, once shoulder surgery was scheduled, I reflected on my previous surgeries and the recovery process and I put the proper supports in place to ensure I was as prepared for the challenges I knew were involved. I was very proactive and prepared myself mentally for surgery. While all of this helped tremendously, there were still unexpected challenges that led to discouragement that I had not experienced before.

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After dealing with significant waves of discouragement, I have learned some things that combat this and other very powerful emotions/feelings that work to deter progress.

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#1) Reach out for help. Don’t sit in it. Take action and tell someone what you are experiencing. This action step alone lessens it.

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#2) If you are able to, focus on 1 thing you can do and do it. When successful, think of one other thing you can do and do that. Then repeat. A lot of times taking action and seeing yourself be successful diminishes the discouragement.

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#3) During your recovery or health journey, keep daily notes of things that went well, progress made, and challenges encountered. Keep these notes in an accessible place so that if you have a day that you are very discouraged, you can see what you have accomplished and overcome. Sometimes this will pull you out of the discouragement or at least give you the courage to continue on your journey.

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#4) Take a walk outside or do something that is outside of your norm. I have found that a Cryo chamber challenges you mentally and can often break the cycle of discouragement and feelings that aren’t helpful.

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#5) Focus on your ultimate goal(s) and what you are hoping to accomplish and do something that leads you towards that. Feelings, however strong they are, don’t have to dictate your actions. You get to choose what you do despite your feelings. Choose to do something that helps you get closer to your goals.

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​Action Step

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What are some things that cause you to feel stuck or discouraged in your journey towards better health?

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What emotions do you find hinder your progress with your exercise or recovery journey ?

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What is one action step you can do today to move forward towards your goal (s): improving your health and well-being to ensure you are strong and healthy in all aspects of your life?

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Physically:

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Spiritually:

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Mentally:

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Emotionally:

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Your life matters. Your health matters. You matter. Don’t allow yourself to sit and stay stuck because of difficult thoughts or emotions. Take action in some way. Reach out for help if you need. You are more that welcome to reach out to me if needed. I have experienced very difficult emotions and thoughts, so you aren’t alone in it.

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Take one action step today to help you get closer to your goal (s). You won’t regret it.

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P.S. Seriously reach out if you need encouragement. Don't sit in this alone.

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