The wake-up call
This post is a collaboration with Europeiska ERV.
I came home from Nepal at the end of October filled with an emotional cocktail of exhaustion, confusion and relief. I spent the first few weeks at home in Sweden together with my family. My immediate HACE symptoms quickly went away and I was even able to start training a little bit: some trail running, strength training and indoor climbing.
Then, within the span of one week, I turned 30, became unemployed and moved into our new apartment in Chamonix. All of a sudden there were a bunch of added stresses to my life at once – and it turns out my body had a difficult time dealing with them. I started experiencing symptoms similar to a burnout or overtraining, like when your body is in a constantly stressed state. I had trouble sleeping, high resting HR, lower-than-average HRV, stomach issues, abnormal fatigue and more. I felt unable to go about the normal tasks of everyday life, both physically and mentally, and training was almost out of the question. I was exhausted and my brain felt overloaded with information and impressions.
One day, after this had been going on for a few weeks, I met a friend for coffee. She gave me a real wakeup call when she asked me: “When you rest, do you lie on the couch scrolling on Instagram, or are you actually doing something where your brain gets a chance to relax?”
I realized I definitely hadn’t been resting the way my body and brain so desperately needed. Scrolling on Instagram, ticking off to-do lists, cleaning, shopping, moving boxes, and applying for jobs wasn’t exactly helping me recover – even if it wasn’t “training” or physical movement in that sense. I started doing more of the things I enjoy doing (like painting, baking, cooking and practicing yoga) and less of the things I thought I should be doing. And this really helped – pretty quickly I started noticing a difference in my energy levels and in my mood.
Today I’m almost back to my normal self again (what does that even mean?). At least I think I am on the right path. I’ve started being able to run more again and I am getting excited about future projects and goals. Cross country road trips with my XC gang Mikael, Josefine and Michal, early bird ski tours, drinking hot chocolate and baking in the afternoons. The little things – but nonetheless the things that give me so much joy. I am still unemployed and trying to figure out what to do with my life (…), but I also know that it could be much worse.
I’m doing my best to navigate this path I am on and I’m grateful for what I have in life. A home, a family, a partner, mountains on my doorstep, delicious food on my table every day, and a body that is capable of so many things.
Photo: Daniel Hug
Something else I am very grateful for is the support I received from my insurance company Europeiska ERV when things didn’t go as planned in Nepal. Before I left on my trip I had purchased the insurance specifically for extreme sports activities abroad (Reseförsäkring Extremsport in Swedish). And boy am I happy I did. After my HACE diagnosis there was endless paperwork to be filled out as well as costs for the helicopter rescue and my hospital stay that had to be dealt with. With the quick and professional help of Europeiska ERV this process went super smoothly and I was able to focus on my recovery.
If you’re a Swede and planning to go on a trip abroad that might involve extreme/high-risk sports such as mountaineering, mountain hiking, or ice climbing – read more about the insurance here (currently only available for Swedish citizens). Remember that your home insurance in most cases doesn’t cover these kinds of activities!