What I learnt from spending a week on crutches

When I was 13 I broke my ankle in an adventure playground in Belgium. I spent 6 weeks on crutches with my ankle in a cast which was certainly awkward, but not that hard to manage. I was ferried to and from school, my friends and teachers helped me around and my dad carried me up and down the stairs at home.

Three weeks ago I fell down some stone steps and landed sideways on the same ankle. I was extremely lucky not to break it again but did end up with a very swollen, sore foot, some torn ligaments and a new set of crutches. My life is very different this time round, so being on crutches has been a very different and enlightening experience with some useful lessons:

1. Investing in having a Growth Mindset pays off in a crisis.

Several friends and colleagues have commented on how positive I've remained despite my painful foot, the nuisance of being on crutches and then having the added hassle of getting a puncture when I finally drove home to Kent.

Last week I was running a workshop for a Tech company on how to develop a Growth Mindset. Going through my notes reminded me of all the work I've done to develop my own mindset over the years. As a result when faced with a challenge I default to problem-solving and looking for the positives or lessons from the experience. This is exactly what happened after my accident. I immediately worked on solving the surrounding issues including who was going to walk my dog for the next few weeks!

2. There is always something to be grateful for.

I have had a daily gratitude practice for over a decade and so I found myself automatically spotting all the gifts in this experience.? In this experience there has been plenty I have been genuinely grateful for:

• When I fell, a friend was with me to give me immediate help.
• The staff at Guys Urgent Care were all lovely and helpful?
• I didn't break any bones, which given how badly I fell is miraculous?
• The plentiful offers of help I received from friends?
• The kindness of strangers opening doors and offering help as I hobbled around London?
• Despite the lift system, there is still a lot of walking involved in using the London underground and this experience made me appreciate how challenging it must be for anyone with a disability and immensely grateful for how easily I am usually able to get around London.

3. The benefits of slowing down.

Maybe I should have rescheduled my plans and moved all my meetings to zoom, but I hate cancelling on people and London in the sunshine is just glorious, so I ploughed on with my work and social activities. This meant travelling around London incredibly slowly. As I gingerly made my way around town on crutches I realised how fast I usually walk when I'm out and about. Instead of finding this frustrating, I found myself feeling more relaxed, enjoying taking in the sights and paying more attention to the people around me. I had to set off much earlier and arrived at my meetings with an unusual feeling of calm. This made me realise the huge benefits of having a few slow periods each day to really notice and enjoy my surroundings.

4. Our perceived flaws can also be our strengths

When I'm coaching, I often point out to my clients when they are being overly self-critical. Society and the media often inform our perceptions of which traits are good or bad and so we can judge ourselves in this binary way, labelling our behaviours as ‘bad’ or underdesirable.

I have always criticized myself for over packing, I'm someone who will pack four pairs of shoes for a long weekend, I just like to be prepared for every eventuality!! But in my mind I always aspire to be someone with minimalist packing habits.

In this instance I was meant to be in London for 2 days which included a couple of business meetings and taking my dog for a couple of runs. Due to my injury this two day trip turned into 10 days, including a weekend sailing with a friend. If I’d packed minimally I would have been scuppered, but thanks to my overpacking I was able to dress suitably for every event, with just the loan of a hoodie!!? Suddenly a trait I’d always seen as a flaw was incredibly helpful!! It may seem like a silly example but it was a good reminder of why we can be too quick to criticise ourselves and how sometimes in a crisis our perceived weaknesses can actually be our strengths.

#gratitude #reflection #resilience