Positive Mindset
My positive mindset powered me to deadlift my body weight for three sets of eight yesterday. So what? It was a significant milestone for me only four months after a serious cycling accident. I was knocked unconscious, and while there was no lasting brain damage, the related vertigo has only just cleared. And I broke my collarbone, scapula, eight ribs, and my hand — 12 fractures in total. The collarbone required a titanium plate and eight screws, given the magnitude of the break.
Even while I was in the ICU in Spain, I began to think of my recovery. Too soon? Not at all. I believe envisioning recovery and returning to regular service is a significant motivator. I am unfortunate enough to have been in this situation previously, and a key to my recovery then was to say, “I will ride a bike again in two months.” And that’s precisely what I did.
This recovery was slowed a little by a pause in the action for surgery, and the vertigo curtailed my running. Yet, while I had my accident on 19 April and didn’t return home until 26 April, I started running regularly from 31 May.
I must add that this is not me claiming to be the poor man’s David Goggins. Neither is it me ignoring medical advice or simply being pigheaded. I believe that the mind is a powerful thing, and it can encourage the body to recover quicker and work harder. Conversely, I think that letting apathy or negativity into the mindset can lead to a downward spiral that affects mental health and, in turn, physical health.
I have put three reference links at the foot of this article, and they approach the power of the mind in healing and good health from different angles. My reference point was a critical care nurse, Christian, who said, “Your recovery is remarkable. At your age, even one of your injuries can be life-changing. But your fitness and positive mindset have made a huge difference.”
Fitness and mindset. I carried the first into my accident. The second was not a given; there were a couple of flickers in my mind when I knew I was at a fork in the road: Take the left fork and give in, or take the right fork and make progress. That was an almost subconscious flicker of a millisecond. But on reflection, I realised that my deeper consciousness kicked in with a weapons-grade dose of self-preservation.
From that point, it was a case of doing the work—just keep showing up and doing the work. Some days, it was a modest amount, but the job was done. At times, it was painful, in the way only broken ribs can be, but the work was done.
Again, I stress this is not me trying to be a tough guy. But my mind was signalling to the body and receiving a positive response, and the reward was progress. I could not afford the mind to stop signalling, as my survival cycle would unravel quickly. Then, a deadly combination of depression and physical pain could ease into the driver’s seat.
What’s my point? In times of duress, a positive mindset is often the difference between recovery and a downward spiral. This applies to physical and mental health. First, be positive.
Secondly, be consistent. Mindset and consistency worked for me; the data suggest objective evidence that this is a winning combination.
Be positive and consistent, build resilience, and see results. It’s more complicated than reading the words on the page, but it’s a recipe for success. The alternative is not something I want to contemplate. Show up mentally and physically and do the work.
References:
Association For Applied Sports Psychology — Using The Mind To Heal The Body — https://appliedsportpsych.org/resources/injury-rehabilitation/using-the-mind-to-heal-the-body-imagery-for-injury-rehabilitation/
Johns Hopkins — The Power Of Positive Thinking –https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-power-of-positive-thinking
Psychology Today — Can Positive Thinking Help You Heal? — https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/owning-pink/201112/can-positive-thinking-help-you-heal