Prioritize Your Mental Health Like an Olympic Athlete
Simone Biles, Michel Phelps and Naomi Osaka have many things in common. They are all elite athletes who have trained and performed in the public eye for many years. They have been put on a pedestal, both literally and figuratively as they have stepped up on podiums to receive medals of honor and been looked to by many as role models and sports idols who model physical strength and abilities.
Also in common is their shared experiences, similar to many other athletes, of having mental health needs. Phelps has spoken out about his journey with depression and suicidal thoughts while Osaka withdrew from press conferences due to anxiety. Many athletes suffer with performance anxiety, panic attacks, depression, perfectionism, eating disorders, negative body image and substance abuse. The COVID virus and pandemic has made an unprecedented impact on athletes training and many have been isolated from family contributing to their overall mental health.
These athletes share in experiencing a culture where often strength is praised and can be practically seen as powering through an external physical injury or internal mental or emotional stressor for sake of the performance or competition. Many mask their internal struggles with mental health issues with a smile that often is not genuinely felt but expected while showing or expressing mental health needs can be seen as weak and shameful.
Much speculation happened in the news about Biles mental health and why someone of her athletic ability would withdraw from Olympic competitions. She explained that she was experiencing “twisties” which in gymnastics is recognized as a feeling of when a gymnast is tumbling and flipping in the air of feeling disoriented and not sure which way is up or down. This experience can be dangerous leading to injury. What an insightful analogy also for mental health needs of feeling anxious, emotional, grieving, depressed and not knowing which way is up or down.
In addition to the twisties Biles expressed that she “felt the weight of the world on her shoulders” and later disclosed that her aunt died unexpectedly during Biles time at the Tokyo Olympics.
Biles again made headlines for making a “come back” when she re-entered back into competition and won a bronze Olympic medal. A helpful distinction could be made that she never left, she just stepped back for a moment. She showed the world that was watching that she was human, not just an athlete or “entertainer” as she stated. She was a human with human needs just like the spectators watching her and just like the reader of this article.
This is such a great lesson to learn that mental health needs are valid. It is not weak to show emotion or to need to step back from something. It is okay to be human and to need time like Biles did. Time to step back, time to pause, time to feel, time to sit in her emotion of loss, grief and anxieties. Time to process, Time to practice her sport, Time to get her equilibrium back physically and mentally so she would know which way was up when she stepped back in.
These experiences and mental health needs are not only ones of the Olympic athletes but of all others as well.
3 Steps for Prioritizing Your Mental Health
1) Listen to Your Body
Physical Health AND Mental/Emotional health needs. (It is not one or the other.)
Physical Health Needs
What they are: Recognizing your physical needs. Example; noticing in your body a pain.
Intervention: You go to a medical professional for pain which is assessed and a stress fracture or a broken leg is diagnosed. A medical professional would most likely give you a treatment plan to rest, to stay off of it for a certain time frame and allowing it to heal because the bone is compromised and needs to regain strength.
Emotional/Mental Health Needs
What they are: Recognizing your emotions and mental health needs. Recognizing that you feel anxiety, depression, sadness, not “right”, not knowing which way is up, etc.
Intervention: You go to a professional Therapist/Counselor expressing your feelings and symptoms you have. A therapist would most likely give you a treatment plan fitting your symptoms, needs and diagnosis. These could be stepping back, pausing, resting, going to therapy to learn coping skills and to have a place to express your emotions, etc.
2) Ask for Help
Speak out. Ask for Help. You don’t have to be fine and okay all the time or wear a fake smile. Be real and true to how you are feeling.
Use helpful communication statements such as; I feel, I need, I want.
I feel…. (I feel exhausted, sad, unmotivated, depressed, can’t get out of bed, like I want to die, like the weight of the world is on my shoulders).
I need… (I need help, sleep, a hug, a mental health day of rest, to listen to my body and emotions, time to step back.)
I want….(I want to take off of work on Friday and sleep in, take a break from practice, want rest, peace, I want you to help more with the children, etc)
3) Step Back
Pause, Rest, Restore, Replenish (fill yourself up again) Re-cooperate; take a mental health day, or two or three. Take the time you need. Go on a retreat. Go to professional therapy to learn helpful tools and skills to help cope with emotions.
Prioritizing one’s mental health by listening to your mental and emotional needs, asking for help and stepping back gives opportunity to promote mental health awareness and literacy, therefore helping to reduce negative stigma associated with mental health needs.
Keep the conversations going. Be open about your own mental health struggles. It's through these ongoing positive conversations that can empower people to see that it is not a weakness or failure to put your mental and emotional well being first. It is crucial and vital to one’s quality of life. This earns a Gold medal in my book.
Roubicek & Thacker Counseling is Fresno’s premier provider of individual, couples, family, and group therapy. We offer in-person and online remote therapy sessions. Contact us today to change the way you feel.