Self Care Gone Wrong

There's a new wave upon us... It's called self-care.

Self care seems to be the new buzz phrase of the moment.  Ever since people have been coming clean with their mental health issues, self care has become a very popular topic.

What is self care?  Self care is a deliberate activity we engage in, in order to take care of our mental, emotional and/or physical health.  Self care is meant to revitalize us. It is meant to add to us, not take away.  It is meant to improve our mood, reduce anxiety and lead to a good relationship with yourself and others.  Self care is specific to the individual.  A stress reducer for one may not be for another.

The thought is, if you take care of yourself and are happy, you will be able to move through your normal grind with ease and grace.

In my opinion, self care seems to be very similar to the law of self preservation. (Google it).  Its not new.  I implemented the law of self preservation into my life since at least 2009.

So, anyone that knows me knows that I workout on a regular basis.  Yes, since 2010 when I stopped smoking, I've been working out.  I started off slow but then became hooked; cardio being my favorite form of exercising initially. When I craved a cigarette, I would just start doing jumping jacks, squats and lunges. Cardio, spinning, strength training, yoga, hiit training, you name the type of workout, I've done it.

Fast forward two weeks or so ago, I got the bright idea to start walking/running....

I've had knee pain in the past but stretching, pain reducers and heat packs always seemed to do the trick.

Where am I going with this and what does my exercise background have to do with self care?

Getting to that!

I downloaded a running app and selected the beginner level.  Week one was awesome. I fell in love with the walking and running intervals.

Week two is where it went all wrong.  Don't get me wrong, it was hard doing a completely new workout, but that is what I wanted. I wanted to  mix it up, get outside, clear my head and get rejuvenated.

Week two (day two) was rough, I was lagging, I knew my form wasn't the greatest but I kept pushing myself. Well that was a mistake because by the time I made it home, I couldn't walk. The pain was unbearable but I still went about my day. I had no choice, I have two small children!  I took some Aleve and kept it pushing. I didn't think it was going to be as bad as it was.

The next day was clutch, I could barely walk, both my knees were in pain and swollen!  So much for self care and rejuvenating myself!  I just took myself out the game for weeks.

Fast forward... its been one week since that fateful morning, the pain and swelling are better but I'm not 100% (I would say I'm 50%,) I went to urgent care and got some anti-inflammatory pills but they are not that great.  I'm going to wait a few more days to see if I get the relief the doctor assured. If not, I'm going to an orthopedic doctor and demanding a cortisone shot! End of story. I will not take no for an answer.  I'm so lost not being able to move around like I'm used to, this is just torture for me.  But my love for being on my feet for cardio and running will have to be put on hold for a while. Argh!

Here I was trying to step outside of my box and do something new only to now be out of commission indefinitely.  But I won't let this minor setback stop my fitness journey.  I will continue my home workouts and focus on my upper body (arms, chest, back and core) until my knees are back to normal.  There is always another opportunity for greatness, you just have to turn the setback into and opportunity.

So, this is what I meant by when self care goes wrong.

Everyday Greatness

Martine