MENTAL HEALTH IN SPORTS

Prioritizing your health isn't selfish!

Most #athletes start playing sports simply because they love it. Their athletic career started with a natural talent, strengthened by relentless training. Pursuing a career in professional sports requires serious sacrifices, often at the expense of a 'normal childhood.' The quest to be(come) the best can be all-consuming. It is no wonder many athletes associate achievement with affection. Most of their life has been a value exchange, and the equation was simple: achievement and approval equaled love and respect. The combination of a "win-at-all-costs" mentality, tunnel vision-like focus, life in the public eye, and an industry that thrives on controversy, stress, and perfectionism (a quality that most high-achieving athletes possess) can cause depression, anxiety, addiction, and sometimes even suicidality.

The sports market is a crowded place. The competition for mindshare, awareness, and dollars is fierce. Some fans see athletes as infallible, superhuman beings, blessed with an iron will and a God-given talent. In the era of social media, we can connect, swipe, follow and inspire people we have never personally met. We share our deepest thoughts and most incredible experiences. But being a star can be a lot to handle. Being the graceful center of attention might seem fantastic, but it is significantly more challenging than most outsiders imagine. An excited young fan, who meets you for the first time, will not understand the energy it takes for you to pose with dozens of fans every day of the season. It's not always easy to remain friendly and humble when almost every person you meet seems to have a "quick little favor to ask."

“Professional athletes are not products. Professional athletes are human beings with a heart and soul, who have a right to pause their professional duties to care for the emotional, physical, and spiritual struggles that come their way.”

Rondell Treviño

Being an elite-level athlete is an experience few people get to have. People look up to you and what you do. Others might want to be like you. You're inspiring because you've fought through adversity, made sacrifices, and committed to chasing your ambitions. Everybody loves a winner. The never-ceasing pressure to perform has cost many their mental well-being. Being different can be uncomfortable. Your success is not defined by what is happening around you. You are not your sport. You are not your failure. You are not the result of your last game. Your business is not you. What you do and who you are, belong in two different buckets. 

 Never let success get to your head; never let failure go to your heart.

Ziad K Abdelnour

 Your mind is a powerful weapon but can also be your worst enemy. At first glance, athletes might appear, fitter, healthier, and happier than others. But even when things go exceptionally well, the cost of success and popularity can sometimes be high. Success means change. Success means higher expectations. Success means more extensive demands on your time, mind, and body. The sports industry can be ruthless. After you have missed a shot, lost a match, or retired as an athlete, some previously enjoyed support may mysteriously vanish. It is remarkable how lonely you can feel in a crowd. Where did all that love and support go? Every time you compete, you run the risk of defeat. If you fail to perform, are injured, or need to step back and heal, you know there's always someone waiting in the back to take your place immediately.

Societal expectations, combined with the pressures of being an athlete, can be harsh. As an aspiring elite athlete, you are often exposed to mental anguish, stress, anxiety, depression, expectations, and seductions that many others might not face. Young adulthood is a time for experimentation. Life can sometimes be challenging, even without spending it in the spotlight. Products do not meet those issues. Products do not talk back, take drugs, cheat, assault reporters, or dismiss managers. Much of your personal life is shared and visible. The responsibility of staying clean 24/7 can be heavy. You put in the work and do it where everyone can see and critique it.

Many extraordinary people have made their way in the world by being vulnerable, including some of its most successful athletes. It can be challenging for outsiders to imagine that athletes who can produce so much in their sport would experience anything other than pleasure, pride, and an almost endless supply of self-confidence. However, mental issues don't discriminate, and depression isn't always visible. Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, and Naomi Osaka have all spoken out about mental health issues in the last few years. When even some of the all-time best struggle and question themselves at times, what does that mean for the rest of us?

“I want to get to a place where it’s as easy for an athlete to see a therapist as it is to get their ankles taped.”

Victoria Garrick Browne

Attention comes with the territory, but the pressure on young athletes, to be even more impressive than everybody else can be incredibly high. It's essential to set the bar, but not so high that it holds you back. Look at it this way: people will judge you no matter what. So, show up and live out loud! It's not about how you look; it's about the confidence you show up with. Easier said than done. I know. But if you can just let loose and be your beautiful self, I guarantee you'll be happy with the results. Double down on what makes you different." Take pride in your way of life and own your authenticity. Build your brand around what's fully real and entirely yours! Your heart always trumps your head. The only way to silence your inner GPS is by following its directions. Walk your most authentic walk.

 “At the end of the day, you gotta feel some way. So why not feel unbeatable? Why not feel untouchable!”

Conor McGregor.

 Every sport operates on a different competition cycle, and most face an ever-increasing number of games and extended seasons. Most athletes, competing at their peak, require complete focus. If your off-season is too short to recover fully (physically and mentally), you'll have to find a way to release and relax during your season. Don't be rushed out of these incredible years of your life. Enjoy them. Make your mental health a priority. When you need help, find it. That's not weak or shortsighted. It's not making you any less an athlete. If anything, it makes you more human. 

“I feel… as if I’ve been let in on a dirty little secret: Winning changes nothing.”

Andre Agassi, Open.

Competing, watched by a vast audience, can be incredibly thrilling. You've sacrificed everything to get to where you are today. Your fans are just as involved. I completely understand that you (and those around you) have invested years of your life pursuing your absolute best. Every single millisecond or centimeter can make or break your legacy. Athletes contribute significantly to society; they compete, inspire and entertain and I'm not trying to take away from that. I appreciate the importance of winning, but just for a brief moment, allow yourself to take a little step back and acknowledge that it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. All I'm saying is that your scores, races, or fights will not save lives, fix the climate crisis, or eliminate global poverty. Sports aren't precisely open-heart surgery. Even if you lose today, the sun will still rise in the morning. Breathe in, breathe out, repeat. Enjoy your journey.

 A winning mindset:

• Welcomes adversity
• Endures criticism
• Grows through mistakes.
• Tolerates imperfection

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