Why Recovery isn't selfish

Up until a few years ago, recovery was a foreign concept to me. It was something you did after being sick, after a big night out, or after surgery. If your nickname is “fragile” like mine was, though, recovery needs to mean something very different — it needs to become part of how you live.

I’d trained consistently for years, but without a coach, without access to recovery tools, and with my fair share of injuries, I kept hitting the same plateau. I was doing the work but not seeing progress. It was frustrating, sometimes depressing, and it left me wondering if I was just waiting for the next setback.

Everything changed the first time I tore my wrist. That injury introduced me to compression and pain pods, and from there the door opened. I went from hating the cold to willingly sitting in a cold pool for up to 30 minutes. I fell in love with infrared saunas and became curious about cryotherapy. Each new modality didn’t feel like a quick fix — it felt like learning to listen to my body.

Six years in, I’m a convert. I let myself be coached. I started recognising the subtle ways my body asks for different things: more sleep after a heavy week, a sauna after a stressful day, a cold dip when inflammation rears up, or a red-light session when I need gentle repair. Recovery stopped being something I did only when I’d failed; it became preventative, intentional, and restorative.

Being a busy mum makes it hard to put yourself first. There’s always a reason not to — the school run, the meals, the work demands. We tell ourselves a break is selfish. But the truth is the opposite: making time to exercise, rest, and recover helps me be calmer, more present, and more patient with the people I love. When I take an hour in HBOT or sit quietly in the sauna, I’m not escaping — I’m refuelling so I can show up better for everyone else.

Prioritising recovery has practical wins too. I recover faster from workouts, I get fewer setbacks, and I feel more consistent in my training. Those small gains add up: more energy, better mood, clearer thinking, and the confidence to keep moving forward without fearing burnout.

If you’re worried about guilt, start small. Schedule one recovery session a week and treat it like an appointment you can’t miss. Notice how you feel afterward — physically and mentally. Chances are you’ll give yourself another, and then another. It’s not indulgence; it’s maintenance.

Recovery isn’t selfish. It’s an investment in your capacity to live well, love well, and do what matters most to you. If you’ve been holding back because you feel guilty about taking time for yourself, try reframing it: every minute you invest in recovery pays dividends to the people who depend on you — and to you.