As a pro-athlete it is very important to keep a good balance of being on court (in my case) and taking your mind off your daily routines. Everyone has their way outs, or at least should have. For office workers, it is sports that helps them to recover from an exhausting day at work. For us athletes, it definitely is not to go on a run or to the gym; we are already doing it all day anyways. So, this is not really an option for us to relax and regain energy for the next tournament, meet, or practice session.
What are we athletes doing to calm down? I know from friends of mine and myself that Yoga is a great stress reliever for athletes. Through meditation, stretching, and mobilizing muscles, it is a wonderful exercise session that helps us calm down and prepare our body for the next practice session. It also helps me to forget about all the worries I have and focus on myself, rather than the people around me. Next to Yoga, some athletes love to go out and party with their friends, watch other sport events, or just chill to some Netflix and chips/chocolate (cheat-days are allowed for every person on this planet!). As you may guess from earlier posts of mine, I love coffee + a treat. Today, writing this exact post, I am in Cologne at Wndrfuel, a great coffee shop in the middle of the city. Having a big garden area where one can sit outside, as well as a big indoor area, one can get creative either to the smell of summer, or to smell of coffee beans. It is so quiet here, and I can just let my thoughts flow and write them down. What a relieve. Having a cappuccino with spelt milk and some toasted vegan banana bread; I am literally in heaven. No one is telling me ‘Romy, move your feet’, ‘Romy, more spin!’, ‘Romy, put that ball in play.’ I am just all to myself, in my own world, enjoying the little things in life.
It is a sunny and warm day, I already went on a cycling tour with my better half, and now I am here having my treats of the week, preparing myself for another battle on Sunday. It couldn’t be better. Thinking about my luck and that I am able to do all of this, I am also thinking about the aspect that the key to success is to take time to yourself and just do whatever you want to, whatever you are in the mood for. It doesn’t always have to be the same thing you do, the only important aspect is that you do it with passion and you know it helps you to relax & regain energy. It also doesn’t matter what others are thinking or saying. My boyfriend, for example, hates coffee shops and he always makes fun about me going. I, on the other hand, know that it helps me and will relieve me of the pressure I felt from the past week. So, what benefits you to feel better, will, in the end, also make the people around you happier. Why? Because you are happy!
To sum this up, just go ahead and do whatever the ‘heck’ you want to. When it helps you to relieve the stress, it will make this world a better place, …not only for you! 🙂
Romy Kölzer 