Repeated.
I came home after coaching my son’s soccer, ran up the stairs and instantly felt it. My back seized up and locked up.
And immediately the feeling of immersion struck:
“Not again. I had it so good.”
And I was everything is fine. It’s been about 2 years without a major flare-up, about 4 times longer than the average for most of my 30 years.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’ve been dealing lower back pain for over 20 years due to congenital spinal stenosis and previous injuries. So I’ve become pretty good at reading the warning signs, so I know when I’ve pushed too hard and need to back off.
This time I noticed. I was cautious. And it still happened.
But this is what I want to share with you today.
When you’re in pain, or stuck, or feel like you’ve lost your way – especially if it’s happened before – it’s so easy to feel like that’s the way it’s going to be from now on. Forever.
I see this with my coaching clients all the time. People dealing with chronic pain or conditions such as POTS or RA. But so are people dealing with tendinitis, or a tough week at work that ruined their workout streak, or stress that threw them off track with their meals.
The thought goes like this:
“Here we go again. I just can’t go on like this.”
But this is not true. It’s simple feels true at the moment.
The evidence almost always says otherwise. And that’s why sometimes we need help in rebuilding our internal dialogue. Because, left to its own devices, your brain will happily ignore any evidence that doesn’t fit the story it’s telling: “I’m doomed.”
Here’s what I keep reminding myself (and what I wish I could tell you, too):
✅ You are more knowledgeable about your situation than you think.
By this point, you’ve found some things that help. Or, almost as valuable, you found things that no need to help In any case, the pool of unknowns is shrinking. It’s progress, even if it’s not.
For example, I know that I need to do short, repetitive, light movements throughout the day to manage pain and restore function. But that there is no “magical” exercise that does this, and what my body needs each day will be different, so I need to be patient while I figure out what feels good today. I used to feel lost and overwhelmed by the idea. Now I know I just have to go through the process.
✅ Each flash taught me something.
Sometimes it’s physical (movement to avoid, movement to help). Sometimes it’s mental (a story I keep telling myself, but it’s not really doing me any good). Sometimes it’s just more empathy for others dealing with chronic pain and issues. I try to walk away from each one with at least one new piece of the puzzle.
✅ You can’t hurry. You can’t force it.
This is the hardest for me. I want a schedule. I think it gives me a sense of certainty and control when I feel most vulnerable. But sometimes the most important step is to commit to the process and not pile guilt, fear or anxiety on top of what is already a difficult week.
But “giving up” doesn’t mean “doing nothing.”
You can’t rush the process, but you do it is possible always finds its own NAW is your next available win.
Not a giant comeback plan. Not the “I’ll be back to 100% by next Monday” pressure. Just the next little thing you can do right now which breaks the spiral.
For me, this week’s NAWs looked like this:
- Becomes on a heating pad
- Sending a message to my doctor
- Wasting 5 minutes on the floor making a few gentle movements
- I write down my thoughts so that they don’t go around in my head 😅
That’s all. A few trifles. None of them “fixed” anything. But each rejected me which act on on the situation to performing one small action within it.
Your NAW will look different depending on what you use:
- Stuck on food after a hard week? Your NAW can jot down an idea for the next meal or go back to go to food when you are short on time and energy.
- Missed a few workouts? Your NAW can be a 10-minute snack rather than a full-blown “I’ll do double tomorrow” comeback. (This almost always backfires.)
- In a mental spiral? Your NAW can write it down, talk to someone, or take something simple from yours Food menu.
A flash is a flash. The story you tell yourself about flash – and the next little thing you decide to do is where you actually have control.
So if you’re going through a tough time right now, whether it’s pain, injury, a disrupted routine, or just a season where things seem harder than they need to be, I know exactly how it feels.
It’s not forever. You’ve been back before. You will come back.
What is there your next available win? 💪
You got it.
– Coach Matt
PS If you are experiencing an aggravation or injury, Coach Damien someone on our team that I trust, who works with people on these things every day. Take our little practice quiz to find out who is right for you.