164 | Coach Carrie Answers a Question on Balancing Healing and Life Goals

" I'm feeling like my injury has really held me back in life. My first two years of college, I was trying to survive school while recovering from a car accident. I've needed every extension and have had many surgeries after that, which have affected my schooling and life in general. Now I'm ready to transfer from my community college to a university, and I don't have all the right classes for the degree I'm going into. I feel like this injury has just ruined me, and I'm not sure what to do." —Rylie Injuries can be devastating at any stage and time. But in some cases, they deeply affect other areas of life in ways that can feel deeply unfair. In this week's listener Q&A, Coach Carrie first of all expresses deep sympathy and empathy to Rylie and other athletes who find themselves in such a long-term, difficult recovery period. As challenging as these situations can be, Carrie suggests some ways to shine a light into the darkness. Most important, she says, is to try not to time-travel to the past or into the future—instead, calmly bring your focus back to what's in your control right now. From there, you can consider the actions you can take today to bring about the tomorrow you hope for. Resources/links: Past episodesOther things we mention A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 9 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! They're the creators of the LEVER system, a portable, lightweight device that attaches to a treadmill to reduce your body weight. Use the code INJURED20 to get 20% off your purchase here. You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show. To access more resources for injured athletes: Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook!Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cardsAccess webinar videos, mental rehab e-courses, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our workJoin The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updatesJoin The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderieLike The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodesEmail us at [e-mail] with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.