Does it take days for you to recover after your workout sessions at the gym? This is a sign that you may be overdoing it and need to cut back. Learn more about important signals from your body that warn you to slow down, and what you can do to make your fitness routine work better for you.
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it’s time to evaluate your fitness routine:
1. Soreness after more than 48 hours. It’s normal to have some soreness after a hard workout However, if you’re still sore and in serious pain more than 48 hours after your last workout, then it’s a sign something is wrong with your exercise plan and its severity.
This soreness shouldn’t even appear if you’ve been doing the same workouts for months.
Muscle pain, stiffness, and soreness are signs that you’re overdoing it at the gym and may have an overuse injury. There could be micro tears in your muscles, sprains, or other issues.
2. Lasting joint pain. Joint pain can also point to an overuse injury.
You may need to rest and get medical attention for joint pain that doesn’t go away after a few days.
3. Backsliding results. Naturally, you want to see your workouts bring results, but you may end up backsliding if you’re overdoing it at the gym.
For example, if you’re pushing yourself too hard and getting injured, then your results could drop from being able to do 10 laps to 5 laps at the gym. Another example is if you’re not able to lift the same weights that you could lift a few weeks back.
Backsliding results shouldn’t be ignored because they’re a sign you’re doing too much and hurting yourself.
4. Dreading workouts. Everyone wants to skip the occasional workout and eat a bagel. However, if you dread your workouts to the point that you’ll come up with any excuse to avoid them, then it’s time to reevaluate.
Exercise might not always be fun, but it shouldn’t make you miserable. If you avoid or reschedule all of your workouts, consider if the main culprit is that you’re overdoing it.
You may be pushing yourself too far and want to skip the pain that comes with exercise.
Once you start a workout, you would normally tend to cheer up because serotonin levels increase. However, if you’re not any happier while you’re doing the exercises, it’s a clear sign that something needs to change. You may need to redo your routines or cut them down to a more reasonable amount.
Adjusting Your Workouts to Avoid Injury
If you’ve been forcing your body past its limits, you’ll benefit from seeking professional help to adjust your workouts:
If you’re overdoing it, then a trainer can help you slow down and actually get better results.
A trainer can work with you and push you just beyond your limits without sacrificing your health. A professional trainer knows how to avoid injuries and overuse of muscles, so you don’t create lasting damage.
If you prefer not to hire a trainer, consider help from trusted sources online, such as videos from experts.
Exercise shouldn’t hurt your health, and overdoing it at the gym is dangerous. Pay attention to the warning signs from your body and take steps to avoid damage.
Good news, though: with intentional focus, you can make choices that will help you become stronger and more confident – and ultimately, better capable of making your life work for you.
Start with Falling in Love (With Yourself)
Loving yourself makes you stronger and happier. You’re more likely to put forth the effort to reach your goals when you appreciate your value.
You’re bound to feel more content because you’ll treat yourself with compassion and respect, and seek out others who will do the same. Instead of making you selfish, loving yourself increases your capacity and willingness to serve others.
On the other hand, that kind of confidence can be difficult to conjure up if you’re used to self-criticism and doubts.
Whether you’re wild about the face you see in the mirror or trying to become a little more accepting, maybe it’s time to look at your relationship with yourself.
Try out these habits that are guaranteed to help you love yourself more.
Self-Love Habits for Daily Life
Self-love is a skill that grows stronger the more you practice. Incorporate these habits into your regular routine.
1. Meditate daily.Self-love begins with self-knowledge. Sit down and explore your thoughts. Figure out what’s on your mind and sort out your feelings.
2. Care for your health. Stay fit with good nutrition, exercise, and restful sleep Limit your consumption of alcohol and junk food.
3. Love your body. Appreciate your body. Be grateful if you’re free from any serious illness or disability. Be patient if you’re coping with chronic pain or other limitations.
6. Clarify your purpose.Spend time thinking about your values and how to put them into action. Ask yourself what you want your legacy to look like.
7. Engage in meaningful activities.Devote your time and energy to projects that matter to you. Maybe you want to be a leader in your industry or maybe you’re more interested in your spiritual development.
9. Play around. Lighten up. Laugh at yourself instead of feeling embarrassed. Take a break by tossing a ball around with your dog or ice skating with your kids.
10. Look on the bright side.Search for the positive aspects of any situation. If your child wants to build furniture instead of going to medical school, you can still congratulate yourself for raising a responsible adult.
Self-Love Habits for the Tough Times
Some events can shake your belief in yourself. Consider these methods for bouncing back during your darkest times.
1. Forgive yourself.Make a new start. Pardon yourself for past mistakes and unfortunate choices. Focus on what you can learn so you’ll be more prepared the next time.
2. Recover from heartbreak. The end of a relationship can be an especially hard blow to your ego. You may feel unattractive or wonder if life is passing you by. Take time to heal and identify what you’re really looking for. Wish your former partner well and move on towards a new love.
3. Deal with unemployment. Likewise, being out of work can make you feel unwanted. Until you find your next position, fill your time with volunteer work. Join a job club where you can exchange leads and support.
4. Seek counseling or coaching.Childhood experiences may have turned into patterns that are holding you back from loving yourself. Consult a therapist for guidance in addressing such issues.
Don’t deprive your delicious self of the love you deserve. Start by giving it to YOURSELF! Generous helpings of self-love can transform your life. When you understand and cherish yourself, you can build strong relationships and rise to any challenge. Feel me?
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section. Let’s discuss it!
“What fascinates me about addiction and obsessive behavior is that people would choose an altered state of consciousness that’s toxic and ostensibly destroys most aspects of your normal life, because for a brief moment you feel okay.” ~Moby
It’s a fact of life that some relationships go through the occasional rough patch. In most cases, these are worked out; either through rational discussion or some arguing, but the issues get resolved. But when there’s a narcissist involved, the “rough patch” can be a lot less of a patch and more of a cold, wet, heavy blanket that seems to cover your whole life.
This is often referred to as a toxic relationship – but how do you know the difference between a simple rough patch in your relationship and and a very toxic situation? The differences, sadly, can seem subtle at first.
What it all comes down to is that narcissists (and other types of toxic people) are not healthy, and they’re inevitably on a mission to feel better than the people around them. Essentially, they’re soul poison – and if you stick it out too long, you might find yourself feeling dead inside.
So, how does anybody get into such a relationship, and why do they stay?
Clearly, the easy answer is that nobody would or should, but the reality is that they do.
There are three basic stages: the honeymoon (often includes love bombing), where everything seems good and there is lots of hope for a happier future; the problem stage (often includes gaslighting, devaluing and discarding), this is where the actual problems occur; reconciliation, where the offending party makes up for what they did wrong (often includes hoovering). This then leads right back to the honeymoon stage and it starts all over again.
Well, if you think about it, you can see that they already have proof that their partner can change. This proof comes in the form of the prior reconciliation stage. From the perspective of an “outsider,” that can be hard to believe, but that’s how you tend to see it while you’re stuck in the middle of the relationship.
And, hey – there’s always another honeymoon stage right around the corner.
What’s the key to getting out?
Think of it as an addiction. The drug is the problem stage, and the honeymoon stage is the high that is felt.
“Narcissists do not consider the pain they inflict on others; nor do they give any credence to others’ perceptions. They simply do not care about thoughts and feelings that conflict with their own.” ~Dr. Les Carter, Enough of You, Let’s Talk About Me(more…)
“It took me realizing that a broken heart has never actually killed anyone to find the courage to ask for what I want, in just about every situation. That was part of my own growing up.” ~Ginnifer Goodwin
If you’ve experienced narcissistic abuse in a toxic relationship, you might be feeling like your heart is breaking when the relationship ends – even if you’re the one who ended it. But the journey, as painful it can feel, is a worthy one. And, if you want to leave it behind you and move forward, it’s a necessary one.
Emotional Healing for a Broken Heart
Isn’t it true that your emotions really take a hit when your heart is aching? Sometimes it feels like the day of healing is a million miles away. The difficult time you encountered in the past can take a while to be purged from your system. It’s definitely healthy to experience a range of emotions. However, it’s unwise to have the negative ones consume your existence. You’re better off working towards healing the hurt. That way, you can start to experience joy and happiness again. Emotional healing is possible if you work at repairing the source of the hurt. As you’ll see, that may mean making some tough decisions.
Try these narcissistic abuse recovery meditations.
If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll realize something important. Some of the negative influences may very well be the people closest to you! It’s going to be a challenge separating from them. But your emotional health is more important than maintaining those relationships. This is especially true when you’re dealing with narcissistic abuse – when someone you love is actively abusing you psychologically, emotionally, or even physically. This is when you’re going to want to consider going no contact in order to preserve your own sanity and to begin your healing on solid ground.
Are any of your friends guilty of adding fuel to the fire? Can you identify times when they’ve encouraged you to avoid forgiving someone who offended you? You can very quickly identify people whose advice is riddled with negativity. Avoid allowing the years of friendship to cloud your judgment. You can almost guarantee continued misery if you keep them in your life. Here’s a video on how to handle going no contact with someone who is toxic for you.
Learn to set and uphold your boundaries.
Most codependents and survivors of narcissistic abuse have trouble with setting boundaries. This might be due to the fact that they were never actually taught to do so in the first place, thanks to the fact that so many of us were raised by people who didn’t allow us to have boundaries at all. Or, it could be related to the ongoing abuse we have endured in our toxic relationships. If you’re struggling to set appropriate boundaries, this video will help you learn how to not only set those boundaries but also to uphold them as necessary.
Accept responsibility for your part in the relationship.
It’s pretty hard to look in the mirror, right? Deep down, you worry that everything is all your fault – and that’s understandable, given that the narcissist in your life made sure you believed it. But it’s difficult to accept that idea – and even more difficult to imagine that you might have been reacting to the narcissistic abuse. And at times, we feel angry at ourselves rather than the abuser, partially because we feel like we should’ve seen who they were much sooner, or because we think we are weak for tolerating it. In any case, if you’re struggling to see what really happened or what your part in the relationship really was, it can be a good idea to dig in and figure out exactly what your responsibility should be. Confront yourself – what could you have done better or differently, if anything? Maybe you just needed to be less accepting of the abuse. Maybe you struggled with depression and anxiety as a result of it. Either way, recognize what happened and work through it. Be courageous enough to accept responsibility for your part in the relationship so that you can move forward and heal – and avoid these toxic types of people in the future.
There is also something we call “reactive abuse,” which means that victims of narcissistic abuse will sometimes react to this ongoing torture and manipulation in verbally aggressive and in some cases, physically aggressive behavior. It isn’t okay, but it is understandable given the level to which narcissists will pressure and psychologically manipulate you.
Rediscover your true self.
If you are struggling to figure out who you are after a toxic relationship with a narcissist, you’re not alone. This is a common issue for most survivors, due in part to the amount of us who end up with C-PTSD-related symptoms as a result of our abuse. And, in general, you might just sort of “lose yourself” when you’ve been in an all-consuming relationship. Narcissists have this way of overwhelming us and taking over every aspect of our lives. In this video, I shared the secret to finding yourself and reinventing yourself after a toxic relationship with a narcissist.
Live according to your moral compass.
You likely have a set of morals to live by. And while you know they exist, you may sometimes avoid them when making decisions. Abandoning morals is the easiest way to make missteps in life. Go back to your roots. Take a hard look at what really matters to you. Start to embrace those morals one by one. Start to repair how you approach situations. If making a decision means abandoning your moral compass, take another route.
Just like any other compass, your moral compass keeps you on track. It’s the best way to avoid getting lost in the sea of emotional decision-making.
Commit to daily renewal.
The road to emotional healing is long and winding. It’s something that usually takes quite a bit of time to achieve. But it can be done! All you need to do is recommit to the cause every morning when you wake up.
Daily renewal is the best way to turn your healing into a habit. When you go for days without that renewal, it’s easy to slip back into the heartache. Be fair to yourself. Remember you deserve the healing. At the end of each positive day, celebrate your progress. Congratulate yourself for completing one more day of healing and positive living. You’ll find that you rest more soundly at night.
Achieving emotional healing isn’t an automatic process, especially when you consider the pervasive and consuming nature of narcissistic abuse in toxic relationships. It takes time, patience with yourself, and a lot of attention to your own needs. This can feel really hard when you’ve been focused on someone else for so long, but now is the time to really take care of yourself. Focus on what you need and block out the noise around you. But don’t self-isolate and stay stuck forever. Here’s one more quick healing tip for you.
that doesn’t go away after a few days.
