4 Ways To Remind Yourself That You’re A Badass
Run Selfie Repeat reminds runners of all the reasons they're awesome for pushing through the hard days and continuing to run.
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If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that running is one of the best ways to blow off steam when you’re having a bad week. Maybe your kids are driving you insane or maybe you’re not feeling appreciated at work. Hell, maybe you’re having that week where everything that can go wrong is going wrong and you just can’t catch a break!
We all have bad weeks. (Some of us have bad months…or years.) Life is hard! Running is supposed to help! But sometimes when it rains, it pours. So, if you’re having a bad week and running feels like a dropkick to your hope, here are four ways to remind yourself that you’re a badass.
1. You Can Do Hard Things
It’s hard to remember that some pains mean you’re getting stronger. When everything hurts and you just want to throw in the towel, remember how far you’ve already come. Think back to the days when running a single mile felt impossible. Or the first time you completed a distance you convinced yourself you weren’t capable of. You can do hard things!
Reach out to friends in the community or make some new ones. It’s a hell of a lot easier to support someone else than it is to do it for yourself, so assemble your #BadassLadyGang, ask for help and then return the favor. If you run solo, know that all around the world, the virtual #BadassLadyGang believes in you. Don’t give up!
2. Do What You Can
Sometimes this means skipping an early morning workout to catch up on sleep. Sometimes it means reaching for that extra helping of veggies instead of a cupcake. And sometimes that means having not one but two cupcakes after your salad! Do what you can. There is no such thing as right or wrong, just better and worse choices. The important thing to remember is that all you can do is your best, whatever that means to you at any given moment.
Sometimes that means foam rolling instead of running. Sometimes that means pushing yourself into the pain cave during your run so that you can go to bed knowing you are strong as hell. Do what you can—and then…
3. Celebrate The Hell Out Of Yourself!
Struggling to find motivation to get out the door? Celebrate yourself when you do! Did you just attempt a run and have to walk and cry 85 times? Celebrate the fact that you tried! Did you bite your tongue and fight the urge to unleash a can of whoop ass on your boss who refuses to acknowledge how hard you’re working? Celebrate that!
Go look in the mirror and name parts of yourself that you love or that you feel proud of. Do that every single day. Build yourself up, because sometimes we convince ourself that our best isn’t good enough. When you’re doing everything you can, that deserves to be celebrated.
4. You Are In Control (Even When You Don’t Feel Like You Are)
When you feel like everything is out of control, focus on the moment you’re in. So you have 800 things on your to do list and only two hours to get it all done. Life is like an endurance race: you have to run the mile you’re in. Speed bumps and missteps are to be expected. The only thing you can control is your effort and your attitude.
Regardless of what’s going on at home, at work or in your personal life, running should be an escape. A way to push yourself so that you don’t have to think about what’s going wrong or a way to slow down and enjoy a moment alone or with friends.
So when shit hits the fan, know that there are things you can do to remind yourself that you’re a badass. And badasses don’t give up. Just remind yourself that you’ve made the impossible possible before. With some serious hard work, grit and determination, you’ll survive whatever it is that’s trying to keep you down.
Until next time, #RunSelfieRepeat.