Balancing the Athlete and Coach Mindset in CFS Recovery
Introduction
If you’re someone who identifies as an athlete or used to live an active lifestyle, recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or a hypersensitive nervous system condition can feel especially challenging. You’re hardwired to push through discomfort, stay in the game, and grind it out. But what if this mindset is actually slowing your recovery?
In this blog post, we’ll explore how adopting a dual perspective—the player and the coach—can help you navigate recovery in a way that respects your body’s limits while still working toward long-term progress.
The Athlete Mindset: A Double-Edged Sword
As an athlete, you’re taught to push through adversity, fight through fatigue, and keep going even when it’s tough. This mindset can be an asset in many areas of life, but when it comes to recovering from CFS, it often does more harm than good.
Why the Athlete Mentality Can Backfire in Recovery
- Ignoring Red Flags: You may see symptoms as “mental limits” to overcome rather than your body’s way of signaling that it needs rest.
- Overexertion: Pushing too hard, too soon can lead to flare-ups, crashes, or even setbacks.
- Guilt and Frustration: Taking a rest day or slowing down can feel like “giving up” or “losing,” which adds emotional stress to your physical recovery.
I’ve been there myself. As someone who played football, soccer, and wrestling for years, I tried to apply my athlete mindset to CFS recovery—and it only made things worse.
The Coach Mindset: Seeing the Bigger Picture
To recover from CFS, you need to balance the athlete mindset with a coach’s perspective. A coach makes strategic decisions to ensure the long-term success of the team, even if it means pulling players off the field or making adjustments mid-game.
The Coach’s Role in Recovery
- Big-Picture Thinking: The coach sees the whole field and understands when to slow things down to avoid injury or burnout.
- Strategic Rest: Just like a coach subs out a player to give them time to recover, you need to give your body the breaks it needs.
- Objectivity: The coach takes emotions out of the equation and makes decisions based on logic and strategy.
By adopting the coach mindset, you can make decisions that prioritize your long-term recovery over short-term gains.
How to Balance the Athlete and Coach Mindsets
1. Know When to Sub Yourself Out
Think of your body as a player on the field. If the player is overworked, tired, or close to injury, the coach pulls them out for rest. Similarly, you need to recognize when your body is signaling that it’s time to take a break.
Example:
- If your heart starts racing or you feel dizzy after a short walk, your body is telling you to slow down. Instead of pushing through, take a step back and rest.
2. Stop Viewing Rest as Failure
As an athlete, you may feel guilty for taking rest days or saying no to social events. But rest is not a sign of weakness—it’s a key part of recovery.
Reframe Rest:
- Instead of thinking, “I’m missing out,” tell yourself, “I’m giving my body the time it needs to heal so I can enjoy these activities in the future.”
3. Make Decisions Like a Coach
The player focuses on immediate goals, like hitting a certain activity level or checking off a daily task. The coach, on the other hand, considers long-term outcomes.
Ask Yourself:
- “If I push myself today, will it help or hurt my progress in the long run?”
- “What adjustments can I make to avoid a flare-up?”
4. Accept Where You Are Today
One of the hardest parts of recovery is accepting that your body isn’t performing at the level it once did. But acceptance doesn’t mean giving up—it means acknowledging your current limits so you can work within them.
Mantra for Acceptance:
“This is temporary. My body is healing, and I’m giving it the time it needs.”
5. Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others
It’s easy to feel frustrated when you see friends or family living active lives while you’re stuck on the sidelines. Remember, you’re running your own race, and your progress is unique to you.
The Sports Analogy: Short-Term Sacrifices for Long-Term Gains
Imagine a hockey player who stays on the ice for an entire game without taking a break. By the end, they’d be completely exhausted, and their performance would suffer.
Recovery is no different. If you try to push through every day without allowing your body to rest, you’ll only delay your progress.
Key Takeaway: Subbing yourself out now doesn’t mean you’re quitting—it means you’re setting yourself up for a stronger comeback.
Practical Tips for Shifting Mindsets
- Create a Game Plan: Set small, manageable goals for each day that align with your current capacity.
- Celebrate Rest Days: Remind yourself that rest is an active part of recovery, not a passive one.
- Track Your Progress: Keep a journal of your energy levels, symptoms, and milestones to see how far you’ve come.
- Surround Yourself with Support: Join a community of people who understand what you’re going through and can encourage you to stay the course.
Takeaways
Balancing the athlete and coach mindsets is key to recovering from CFS. The athlete inside you wants to push forward, but the coach in you knows when to pull back and rest. By embracing both roles, you can approach recovery with patience, strategy, and confidence.
Remember: It’s okay to take yourself out of the game temporarily. You’ll be back stronger than ever—just give yourself the time and space to heal.