Over my years of working with hundreds of different people with numerous different health conditions I wonder why some have gone on to excel and others have either fallen off the path or got stuck. Exercise and physiology are relatively constant constructs and as such aside from different training variables and different DNA our recovery process is relatively well studied and academic to follow. What is it then that makes some people succeed where others fail?
My belief is that mindset is the key ingredient, do you have what it takes to get through your challenges and reach your goals? Mindset by definition is: "the established set of attitudes held by someone". If we use this definition then prior to your health challenge or accident you hold a set of beliefs about yourself, others and what should be and is possible. If you have a belief that the world owes you a favor then you might be more inclined to wait for things to happen around you rather than seeking out opportunities and miss out on certain things that could help. If you have been raised with a hard work ethic then you may be more inclined to pursue your rehabilitation with a hard work ethic. Have a think about what mindsets you have and what we could do with this information?
If we know that we potentially have a set of beliefs that guide our attitude towards our rehabilitation or health then knowing what they are for us would enable us to understand them, acknowledge them and then use them. If you know you are a hard worker then you know you can do daily sessions as long as you have a rest on the weekend. Alternatively if you do not have a belief in exercise and its power to impact change then we need to either deconstruct this belief or find an alternative way of improving your rehabilitation.
Being aware of why you think a certain way about your rehabilitation can unlock new doors and lead to new experiences, new therapies or a change of tack. As exercise physiologists we have so many different tools in our rehabilitation box that we can create something for anybody and if its not in our box then we will create a new box with new tricks such is our depth of knowledge and experience.
I think that this is the key to unlocking everyone's potential and if you are able to find a exercise physiologist with this understanding then you are going to be miles ahead of the next person in the same position as you. Next time you are doing some work on yourself have a think about what your mindset is to that activity and is it helping or hindering you?