What Walking in the Rain Taught me About Resilience

I’ve been exercising nearly every day for a few months now, having come to accept that it’s one of the biggest changes I could make in my life for both my physical and mental health. It’s been amazing, really, after getting across that initial hurdle of having an inertia of zero. Now I thin of it not as exercise, but as my morning constitutional. If I don’t go, something just feels off.

So what, then, should I do when it rains? Living in Berlin, experiencing inconvenient weather is fairly common. It’s been above 30C (over 90F), it’s rained all day or stormed when I’m halfway through my circuit. Should I be taking days off when it’s not ideal outside?

In short, no.

I’ve come to realize that while I definitely shouldn’t be taking my walk if the weather’s dangerous, I should get my butt outside if the weather is just inconvenient. And this isn’t just about exercise, but I’ve come to realize it’s about my whole outlook on life.

With my C-PTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), emotional regulation can be a challenge. By which I mean, I can spend a lot of emotional energy on things that don’t matter because they managed to trigger something. This is something I have been working on improving as part of my recovery process. I could let rain upset me and cancel my plans. I could get upset because someone canceled an appointment last minute. I could get upset over any number of inconveniences and speed bumps and expend energy railing at the injustice.

But that doesn’t help anything.

This is what I realized one day when I was mid-walk in Tiergarten park in Berlin! As the rain began to fall through the branches, I knew I could get angry, but it wouldn’t change the situation. I had two choices: hug a tree and hope for the best, or brave the rain and walk home. I’d get wet either way, but one was a guaranteed soaking for an equally guaranteed time to be home, whereas the other was a risk of being dryer, but without a known time to get home. Two simple options, pick the best choice.

I’ve changed my perspective. When I experience a setback now, I pause before the emotions threaten to overwhelm me, and I think to myself, “What are my options?” and “Of these, which is the best?” and then I focus on doing what I can in that moment, not getting angry over what I personally cannot control or change, and move forward. No spinning my wheels. No creating distance with those around me because I need a day to process my feelings. Just advancement, lower stress, and the inner calm I have been driving towards.

Being accepting of the current situation does not mean we cannot plan for the future. I can check the weather report, I can bring an umbrella, or wear a rain jacket. This is a very simplified version of Risk Management and it is an important part of any career.

But sometimes you just have to accept you’ll be wet when you get home.