Forced Time Away From the Gym - Managing it and How to Return!

At some point we all need time away from the gym, even if that is just those one week essential recovery periods. But many of us at some stage will also have to go through the experience of forced time away from an important part of our lives due to injury. For some this can have a big impact on their emotional state as something that brings great enjoyment is taken away. How can we ensure we thrive in these periods instead of feeling lost or down? Then, once we are able to return to training what are the most important things to consider to be able to get back to our best performance wise?