Why Your Body Might Be Ready Before Your Brain Is
Midjourney
Returning to the Danger Zone: Remember when Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin crashed while competing last year and suffered an abdominal puncture? For months after fully recovering (at least physically), she struggled with intrusive thoughts during training. Her experience highlights a phenomenon that many of us can relate to after getting injured while doing a favorite activity: your body might be healed, but your nervous system can still be stuck in protective mode. Understanding and accepting this can help you eventually return to the activity.
The Benefits: The Fear Avoidance Model explains why some people bounce back quickly while others don’t. Some people’s brains amplify threat signals and create avoidance patterns that can prolong pain and other problems. Gradual exposure to feared movements or activities can retrain your nervous system to recognize them as safe again.
How to Do It: Start by rating your distress on a scale of 0-10 when thinking about the activity, and then plan some exposure sessions in the 3-5 range. Relying on support from others or techniques like slow breathing can help when you feel anxiety spiking. Most importantly, go easy on yourself because progress won’t be linear.
