Until recently, athletes did not talk about mental health much. It has been barely considered. The sports culture is predicated on being able to rise to the moment, to have laser focus, to do things that seem superhuman. If you show even the slightest faltering mentally, you’re weak. You’re not up for the challenge. You’re not one of the best. You don’t belong.
But as we have moved towards the peak of human performance, the pressure to win titles, break records, or become the GOAT is at an all-time high. Kids are being pressured from a young age to choose a sport, train like crazy, and do everything they can to make it to the professional ranks. Not to mention, sports have risen to a higher status in a society where athletes are looked to as having all the answers.
Athletes are human, just like anyone else. Subject to the same limitations.
Mental health is just like physical health. If you had something wrong physically that was keeping you from competing at a high level wouldn’t you get a check-up with your doctor? Why should it be different for mental health?
Don’t get me wrong, athletes can have elite focus, strength, and performance. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t have challenges in the mental department. More and more athletes are becoming increasingly open about the struggles that they face (or have faced) to stay elite, day in and day out. The world of sports and it’s athlete have gone mental.
In this five-part blog series, we are going to explore what may be causing these mental health challenges, how to address them, and how to find your optimum.
This is a vital part of becoming a more conscious athlete.
