Wellness Corner 19: Tap Into Your Second Wind

I came across the following quote this past week and thought I’d share it with you, as it ties into something pretty interesting for us students. 

You’re training for a marathon and reach a certain pace that seems like your absolute limit. “I can’t go any faster than this,” you think. Despite this, on race day, you do go faster. A lot faster. Why? How?

In athletic training, we often slow down after a while, believing our physiological energy has been completely exhausted. Recent research has actually found that we have the capacity to go on for much longer after we feel we’ve reached our limits.  This is because the brain calls it quits rather easily - when the risk of fatigue is picked up, it pumps the brakes. Pushing beyond this barrier allows us to access another vat of energy: our "second wind.”

This translates to academics, the arts, everything in life. When our hopes are dashed and the Earth seems to be swept up from under us, we hit an existential wall. It’s a common phenomenon. Maybe the first chemistry test of the year didn’t go so well, or it just seems impossible to nail all your lines for the fall play. In these times, it’s important for us to tap into the emotions we’re feeling and channel them toward a second/third/nth, renewed effort. Anger, frustration, and despair can be destructive if not handled optimally. However, focusing our energy on our goal in these heightened emotional states (meaning, exerting a level of “intention control" while also feeling our emotions fully) can benefit us. I firmly believe that if we have the desire and the drive, we can do anything. 

That’s the takeaway for the week. Let’s tap into our second wind, push ourselves while keeping in mind our wellbeing, and channel our emotions in a positive manner. We can do this!

Stay well,

Eshaan