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Not having the time to cool down, stretch, and work on my mobility after most of my sessions can definitely be hard on my body at times. In an attempt to make up for my lack of regular aftercare, I try to make it a point to keep up with routine professional care as best as I can. I don’t see my sports massage therapist as frequently as I would like due to cost, but I do see my chiropractor often. Having consistent, professional work done plays a key role in keeping my body feeling okay and able to perform. So that should be it when thinking about recovery, right? Nourish your body to help your muscles build and repair, and mobilize and seek regular maintenance care to keep it moving and help prevent injury. But what about your mind? Physical fitness is generally an overall positive thing — it can motivate you, it can create a sense of community, help structure a daily routine, and it can even help you feel happy by releasing some of those feel-good brain chemicals. What happens when you have a bad session, though? What happens when your body doesn’t perform the way you want it to? The world of sports and fitness is such a great thing to be a part of, but it can also be very emotional. No matter how you train, what level you’re on, if you’re sport specific or just a regular gym-goer, you will always have good and bad days. The good days are great, for sure, but the bad days? Sometimes they can be pretty bad. It’s oftentimes so easy for us to be overly critical and hard on ourselves, and forget to look at the bigger picture. I’ve been a competitive weightlifter for about three years now, and I still struggle with my mental recovery. I’ve left countless sessions in tears, feeling like I don’t belong, questioningwhy I put so much time and energy into something that can leave me feeling so defeated. Over the years, I’ve gotten better at reeling it in and calming myself down, but it will always be a work in progress. After every training session, good or bad, I check in with myself. I keep a notebook where I write down all of my programming, and I write notes for myself about how each piece of my workout felt. If I have any big outside stressors, I'll write about those, too. When I have a bad session, I try to identify at least one thing that I liked, one lift that felt good, to help put things back into perspective and remind myself that not everything is awful. At the end of the day, caring for your mind is just as important as caring for your body. Eat good food, stretch when you can, and remember to be kind to yourself. Natalie Wong is a national level weightlifter, CrossFit coach & farmer. Nutrition Quarterly · 2021 – Volume 1 12 Featured Articles