You’re benched! One bad crash and you’re out of the game. Bruised, broken, and banned from the water for weeks. What’s a girl gotta do to stay sane?!
Since I’ve been recovering from my own injury, I’ve had my sanity tested several times. And I’ve only failed a few times.. Woo! Hey, nobody’s perfect.
Here are my tips on how to get through an injury and back on the water…
1. Get a Netflix subscription
I’m not kidding. You know what they say, RICE an injury. R means Rest, so get a bag of ice locked and loaded and get on that sofa. House of Cards is waiting!
You’re allowed to be miserable and annoyed and hide from the world for a few days in an acetaminophen infused haze. Injuries suck. Just don’t stay on the sofa forever.
2. Sign up for beach duty
You’re banned from kiting, not from being a kiter. L earn to find joy in the accomplishments of your friends. Get your coaching hat on and get to the beach. Your progression is on pause, but maybe you can help your buddies stick that trick they’ve been working on.
If you’re feeling especially nice, bring a camera! They will love you for it, and who knows? You might develop a new hobby or skill.
Pro tip: Be sure to only hang out with friends who are smart enough to make sure you don’t do anything stupid in a fit of desperation like get on a board!
3. Find a new stoke
This is your golden opportunity to learn a new skill or find a hobby that doesn’t use your injured limb. Sure, you might be crawling around with a weak knee or a little unbalanced with a bum shoulder. But get out and and search for that stoke!
Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- Ukulele
- Photography
- Hiking
- Board shaping
- Painting
- Stand up comedy
- Baking the perfect cookie
Bonus: When it’s rainy and the wind machine is off, you might have an awesome new activity to fall back on or a warm plate of chocolate chip cookies to eat. And if you put as much time into this activity as you did into kiting, you might actually find yourself with a new talent!
4. Catch up on old footage
How many gigabytes of unedited footage and photos do you have lying around? Here’s your chance to catch up. Flex those video editing muscles and Photoshop skills and get to work.
You finally get to stop looking guiltily at your dwindling hard drive space full of those clips that you never got around to dealing with, share those photos that have been collecting dust for who knows how long, and enjoy a few good memories as you go!
While you’re at it, why not reorganize all the files on your computer into a neat and logical file tree? May as well do your closet next… hell, why not the whole house?! There you go. Life sorted. You’re welcome.
5. Go out and get rowdy!
photo: OceanFreaks
That’s right. Get your party pants on. Hit the town. Have some damn fun! Your friends probably miss the version of you that is frothing after an epic session.
Come on, you still know how to have a good time! Get lit and go out and release some of that energy that you’ve been building up on the couch.
Just be careful about what you mix your medication with!
6. Gainz.
Yes, you’re injured. No, that doesn’t mean you can’t use your body. Blow out your knee? Train your core, arms and back. Throw out your back? Work out your… Actually, ignore this bit of advice and consult a doctor.
Has your doctor given you a physiotherapy regimen? Some stretches and exercises to start rehabbing your injury? You want your body back and at it’s best as soon as possible . Take your recovery seriously – and take your timelines seriously. Using an injury before it’s had time to fully recover is just not worth it.
Look, I know you just want to get back on the water. I do too. But the real key to retaining your sanity in this process is accepting your current situation. You’re broken, girl. Sure, no one will blame you if you get frustrated with your current range of motion and jealous of everyone else’s sweet sessions. It isn’t fun. But it is what you make of it. So accept it and try to let go of the negative thoughts, they’re poisonous.
Make the most of your down time, work on yourself, stay active, and be productive. If you take your recovery seriously and see it as an opportunity for self improvement, you might just become a more awesome and well rounded person when you come out the other side.
Good luck during your recovery, and stay positive. Before you know it, you’ll be back and ready to shred!
About The Author
Crystal Veness is a freelance creative marketing pro, graphic/web designer, cofounder of Reset Retreat, and problem solver. She is a kiteboarder and adventure junkie who can’t resist a new experience or beautiful beach. She lives to travel, loves to make a difference, and thrives on personal challenges.
You can follow Crystal on Instagram.
