Reacting to stress

Are you able to be functional when you’re stressed out? Think about your mindset during a grueling workout when you are pushed to your very limit. Do you get angry? Do you rally and tell yourself to persevere? Or does your positive mood turn into negative, short tempered self talk.

One of the greatest benefits of our training is stress inoculation. During CrossFit, we are repeatedly put into very stressful circumstances. Whether it be doing 30 more pullups when you can barely do 1 or ramping your heart rate up on the rower just to ensure the upcoming dumbbell thrusters are as painful and difficult as possible. As time passes, the “active” mind adjusts and accepts this discomfort. Eventually the mind can even embrace it and thrive. This will not happen however without conscious effort. You must pay attention to your emotions during the most painful moments of a workout.
Be careful of the thoughts you allow in your head however.

-Anger can be positive when controlled and channeled into the task. At the same time, wild, uncontained anger can ruin the goal.
-Pride too, can have positive affects on you as you work. Be careful, for pride can fade during a workout designed toward your weaknesses. Pride motivation leaves the moment deficiency in a certain task is accepted by the participant.
-Self sympathy and pity will prevent progress the very moment a workout becomes difficult. During CrossFit, this will happen quickly and the participant will likely concede any chance at a decent level of intensity. This will compromise the effectiveness of the program and when coupled, the lack of results and self pity will likely make you discontinue CrossFit.
-Inspired hostility, knowing that effort and determination are what lead to results, is the ideal. You must be consciously willing to jump up onto the box when the lights are flickering. Force yourself back up onto the pullup bar when your hands are bloody and your fingers are numb and stiff. Not waiting for your heartrate to slowdown or your breathing to regulate. This is the ideal.

Pay attention to what happens in your mind during your next workout and it’s effect on your productivity and success.