Particulating in individual and team sports has tremendous benefits for our physical body, character, leadership skills and overall confidence! However, the mental and emotion roller coaster of competing, constantly proving yourself, criticism of coaches and fans, winning and losing, burnout, injuries and setbacks, can take a toll. The best athletes prioritize their mental health!
Playing volleyball on a collegiate level allowed me every possible high and low you can imagine. Experiencing first hand the pressures that athletes face has fueled a passion to provide the mental resources I needed years ago during my athletic career.
Here are five important things to keep in mind as an athlete.
1. You are more than an athlete!
It’s difficult when you have spent countless hours for years mastering a skill to see outside of that. You may introduce yourself to others as “the runner“ “basketball player”, “gymnast” etc. Those are things you do, not who you are.
Who you are stays consistent and so does your worth.
This includes personality traits and characteristics. For example your list may include characteristics such as patient, determined, hard-working, inspiring, smart, creative, kind,etc.
On the flip side, what you do changes ALL the time! If you are a high level gymnast and that is how you define yourself; if it is how you are described by others; if it consumes every thought and every hour of your day, what happens in the event of an injury? How about a mental block? What takes place after retirement?
Identity crisis.
Too often athletes feel one-dimensional and unbalanced in their view of self And this can rock their mental health.
You are a human being. That has nothing to do with your performance. Start seeing your unique traits and attributes and recite those as affirmations daily. Give your true identity more focus on value!
2. Identify your “why“ And come back to it often?
Why do you love your sport?
What gets you out of bed at 6:00 am to do a training session while your peers are sleeping in?
What are your goals?
When you are in the flow What emotions come up for you?
Does this allow you financial, social, physical, emotional opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise?
You get the gist.
Our “why” propels us forward through the greatest adversity.
3. Improve your mental game and mental wellness! A strong mind propels a strong body and strong performance.
A weak or scattered mind trickles down and weakens the body and it’s performance. The mind and body are intricately connected.
Working with a mental performance expert can be the difference in bouncing back from an injury or setback or making that team or earning the starting position that you have been working for! It can help you find the joy and fun in sport again as a well rounded version of you.