Scenario: You were sparring, or pushed yourself too hard in training. You got injured. You then go and see the physiotherapist or the doctor. They diagnose you with – insert your favourite injury here – and tell you to take X weeks off training. We all know the butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth and horrible thoughts racing through your mind waiting for the examination to finish and the verdict be given to (FYI - this is also a form of adrenal dump). At which point, you are left with two choices:

The first is that you take a couple of days off, use RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression Elevation) for a couple of days and then shrug it off and go back to training even though you are not at 100%. Most people I have trained with have done this before, usually leads to recurring injuries within a short time that will force you out for even longer than first anticipated.

The second option is that you listen to your doctor and take time off. This also means your skills may deteriorate a little bit, your cardio capacity will diminish and your monthly fee will go to waste. Also, you will have to deal with the psychological effects of not training or doing physical exercise for a while – anything from boredom to anxiety to depression to lethargy - which can be even more furstrating than the physical symptoms, particularly to those who train very often.

 What do you do?

I would like to explain the importance of understanding and dealing with ‘adrenal dump’ in the performing arts, as well as the business world, and explain why I believe it should be an important part of the curriculum of any arts and business school.