Recovery- Physical and Mental Burnout

As a mother of 2, full-time athlete, businesswoman, and hobby farmer I can tell you I´ve got my shared wisdom of being close to a real burnout. There are just so many things I like to do, and I believe I become better when I have the time to do them all, but in moderation. The balance we all strive to find isn´t always easy to hold on to! I have found 3 key factors to live by for recovery both physically and mentally.

I´ve justified farm work with “well I will feel better if I sheer the sheep before this race, or my mind will be calm if I fix the tractor so I can cut the grass, or…”- yeah, the list goes on. 

What I have learned is that I need to prioritize. The moment where I am in life now, I want to prioritize the athlete part of me. For many years I felt so grounded as an athlete, that I could take on a lot of other things and still feel and perform like the athlete I was. For some years I lost that, and now I realized I need to prioritize. One can´t do everything. And that is fine.

Like the seasons, life goes in cycles and accepting, letting go, and feeling peace with changing seasons of life brings me balance. It doesn’t really matter if the fields around the farm are cut 2 or 3 times per summer, I have peace of mind anyway.

This is the most important part of recovery, to find your balance.

I have also learned is to never get empty of energy during runs. Being properly fueled makes me recover faster, as well as always eat something before a run, or as I do now, prepare a bottle of our recovery powder to enjoy straight after the runs. Knowing that it´s only good energy I eat during training, not only electrolyte numbers and sugars, makes me feel even better. Real food, a lot of veggies, and plenty of water is a simple key to recovery too!

Sleep! Oh my goodness, all parents know what I´m talking about. This is a big key to recovery, and I learned the hard way to follow my girl’s rhythm. I now go to bed almost at the same time as them, and I sleep the best if I close my phone and fall asleep listening to their sounds. A good bed and a comfy pillow are also important!

These are the 3 basic pillars of recovering that I have experienced during my career: prioritize, balance, and sleep.

Yoga also plays a role in this. Getting in touch with my body, feeling where I´m tired, breathe, and just be in my body. This can be done by being in the moment, sitting writing, breathing, meditating, and stretching.

How is your balance in life?

I wish you the best

xx,

Emelie