Fear, Doubt, and the Internal Battle of Injury Recovery

Written By Erin Haugen

Coming back from injury is never just about physical rehab.

For many collegiate student-athletes, the real challenge is the mental and emotional rollercoaster that rides alongside recovery. Even when you’re cleared, and your body feels stronger, fear and doubt can hang around long after you’ve moved on from rehab.

The emotional toll of rehab

Extended time away from sport often comes with more than physical setbacks. Many athletes describe:

  • Feeling isolated while the team continues without them

  • Worrying about falling behind teammates or losing their role

  • A hit to identity, wondering, “Who am I without my sport?”

These emotions are heavy, and they’re normal. Injury recovery isn’t just about muscles and joints. It’s about a better understanding of who you are and what you stand for.

Ultimately, making sure your actions align with your values.

It’s okay: Fear is part of the process

If you’ve felt hesitant to cut, sprint, lift, or return to play at full speed, it’s okay. You’re not broken, and you’re definitely not the only one. Research shows that fear of re-injury is one of the most common barriers athletes face when returning to sport.

What might that fear sound like?

  • What if I tear it again?

  • What if I can’t get back to where I was?

  • What if I let my team down?

These thoughts can lead to hesitation in practice, overthinking during drills, or holding back in competition.

That doesn’t mean you aren’t tough enough.

It means your nervous system is doing its job: Trying to protect you. So you need to learn skills to manage that.

Working WITH the fear (instead of against it)

One powerful approach in sport psychology is learning how to work with the fear instead of trying to erase fear or pretend it’s not there. What can that look like?

  • Notice difficult thoughts without getting stuck in them

  • Accept that fear and doubt will show up, and that’s okay

  • Get perspective from unhelpful thoughts (like “I’ll never be the same”) so they don’t control your actions

  • Reconnect with your values, which are the deeper reasons you play, so you can take steps forward even when fear is present

Here’s the shift:

  • Old mindset: “I can’t go back to sport until I stop being scared.”

  • New mindset: “I can go back to sport even with fear in the room because my values matter more than waiting for fear to disappear.”

The takeaway: Fear doesn’t mean you’re not ready

Fear and doubt are not signs that you’re failing at recovery.

They’re signs that you care deeply about your sport.

They show up in the same places your goals, identity, and passion live. The key isn’t to get rid of them, but to learn how to carry them while still moving forward.

Welcome to Ready, Set, Return! We’re a group of professionals and researchers passionate about helping athletes be mentally ready to return to sport after injury. 

We’re currently researching an online program for collegiate student-athletes to help them build psychological readiness. We’re recruiting participants through 2025.

Learn more at www.readysetreturn.com.

Erin Haugen
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