On the C2 rower:
Pull a sub-1:25/500-m pace for as long as possible
Rest 3 minutes
Pull a sub-1:30/500-m pace for as long as possible
Rest 3 minutes
Pull a sub-1:35/500-m pace for as long as possible
Rest 3 minutes
Pull a sub-1:30/500-m pace for as long as possible
Rest 3 minutes
Pull a sub-1:25/500-m pace for as long as possible
At first it can sound like some self-help positive outlook but in reality it’s much more than that and more importantly it’s much more useful. Unlike positive thinking, “self-compassion is associated with a more realistic appraisal of one’s situation and one’s responsibility for it. When people do not add to their distress through self-recrimination and catastrophising, they can look life more squarely in the eye and see it for how it really is. Self-compassionate people have a more accurate, balanced and non-defensive reaction to the events they experience.”
There is a school of thought that believes that treating oneself badly and being hard on oneself helps to motivate and increases ones success. Leary says that to some degree they may be correct but what is more often overlooked is “how badly you need to feel in order to motivate yourself. People who are low in self-compassion often make themselves feel far worse than needed to to stay on track.” And the added stress of treating yourself harshly expends energy that could otherwise be used to help the situation go differently and better in the future.
So next time you miss that big lift, or finish the workout a little slower than you would have liked remind yourself that “everyone fails, misbehaves, is rejected, experiences loss, is humiliated, and experiences myriad negative events. That doesn’t mean that these events are OK, but it does mean that there’s nothing unusual or personal in what happened.” Instead, recognize the problem, fix it if possible, deal with the emotions that come up and move on without making a huge production of it. Remember, that unless you enjoy what you’re doing, it probably won’t last, so lighten up and have some fun! We’re just exercising.
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