Have you ever left an aerial class feeling frustrated and inadequate? We hear you--those feelings can linger and color the rest of your day, or even week!
Here are 8 mindset tools and reminders to refer to the next time you’re feeling down:
1. You are not alone! No matter how experienced the aerialist, EVERYONE has frustrating days. Yep, even Jill.
2. Aerial is really really hard. It is not supposed to be easy. There are going to be skills that you aren’t going to get the 1st, 2nd, or even 10th time. When you walk into the studio, you are automatically a bad-ass who has the courage and drive to defy gravity and do acrobatic gymnastics in the air. That is something to be applauded!
3. Remember the skills that you ARE able to do, and the progress that you’ve made! Remember when you first realized that you could hold your entire body weight up using just your hands? What did it feel like to climb to the top of the silks for the first time? This stuff may seem simple now, but there was a time when that was difficult! You’ve come so far.
4. Meet yourself where you are and go from there. Did you have a baby recently? Are you recovering from an injury? Are you experiencing work or relationship stress? All of these things can affect how you feel and perform in the air. Instead of thinking of these as setbacks, show yourself some grace by acknowledging your present situation and moving forward.
5. Talk to yourself as if you were your own friend. Make sure that your internal voice is showing you the same compassion and kindness that you would show a friend.
6. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” - Teddy Roosevelt. We are all different people with different physiological challenges and strengths. Some people have bendy backs; some people have no hamstring flexibility; some people lack core strength. Just because it seems like everyone can do something but you, we guarantee that they have their own struggles.
7. Take a social media break. To help with the previous reminder, get off of social media for a few hours or an entire day! When you’re feeling down, avoid looking at highlight reels of other aerialists, aimless scrolling can fuel your feelings in a negative way.
8. You are not less of a person because you can’t do something in aerial class. At the end of the day, most of us do this for fun. There are so many things that make you who you are that are independent of aerial. This is just extra. In fact, you are more of an awesome person for trying this in the first place!
Next time you catch yourself spiraling into negative self-talk or feeling less than. Remember theses tips and know that even the pros have frustrating days and insecurities, we’re all human.
Photo Credit @aerialphysiquephotos