The Mental Wellbeing Side of Injury Recovery
A blog by Joseph Madge, Marketing & Communications Officer
Enjoying a lovely summer's evening back in August, I was at my usual Wednesday football session when I fractured my ankle. I thought the hardest part would be the physical recovery. Three months out of football didn't sound ideal, but I figured it was just a case of rest, crutches, and physio exercises. What I didn't expect was how much of a challenge it would be mentally.
Football has always been more than a just a kick-about for me. Playing once a week gave me exercise and physical activity we all know is so important yes, but it also gave me routine, social interaction, and a release from everything else going on. Losing that suddenly left a gap.
The first month was the most exhausting. Not just physically, but mentally. Life changes overnight: you go from walking to the shops without a thought to planning every small journey, from feeling independent to relying on others. That constant adjustment wears you down. There's frustration, and there's a real sense of losing control over your own life. To my credit, I certainly didn't let it stop me doing the activities I already had booked and planned but it did alter my experience of them.
But that's the part I've had to learn to manage, control. An injury strips away so much of it. I couldn't play football, couldn't move freely, couldn't even decide my own timeline for recovery. At first, I found myself focusing only on what I couldn't do, and that's a quick road to negativity.
But upon reflection I realised there's plenty I could do, the first being to adapt, don't stop. Instead of giving up on all physical activity, find what you can do safely, I realised this a little late but better late than never!
Upper body or core exercises I could still focus on, or even resistance band work. It helps keep your body moving and your mind in a better place. I was going to the gym regularly enough before, so that element of routine I could keep instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water and abandoning it all.
Stay socially connected, even if you can't play, you can still show up and watch, or catch up with your mates after their game.
It keeps you in the routine and reminds you you're still part of the group.
One of the biggest lessons I've taken from my ankle injury is the importance of being kind to yourself. At first, I kept going over the "what ifs", could I have avoided it? Should I have been more careful? But the truth is, these things just happen. Injuries are part of sport, and blaming yourself doesn't help you heal.
What has helped is shifting my mindset. Instead of treating recovery like a punishment, I've started to see it as a chance to grow. Life throws setbacks at all of us, and while you can't always control what happens, you can control how you respond. This injury has forced me to practise patience, to focus on small wins, and to let go of the idea that everything needs to be on my terms.
Most of all, it's about perspective. Yes, being out of football for three months is frustrating. But it's also an opportunity to learn how I deal with adversity, to adapt my routines, and to come back stronger both mentally and physically. Injuries remind us that our bodies are resilient, but so are our minds.