Athletes face a variety of pressures from themselves, their coaches, and their fans, but the majority of it stems from the excessive pressure they place on themselves to perform well and win.
Mind And Body
According to research, there should be a synergy between the mind and the body that coordinates our activities. This is also necessary for every athlete, which is why when the mind and body aren’t in sync, an athlete can’t perform most of the time, which can be dangerous.
This only emphasizes the link between the mind and the body. Any event that happens in the mind can be mirrored in the body and vice versa. An Athlete, for example, has a physical injury. In this scenario, the mind has already input fear and has made it clear that participation is risky. Furthermore, when the mind is separated from the body, whether through self-doubt, confusion, or, in the case of gymnastics, forgetting the steps, it is obvious that the athlete will be injured if he or she continues to participate.
Effect Of The Mind And Body Not Being In Sync
Athletes are raised in a competitive environment that devalues their well-being, which is why they will push through physical pain, pressure, and anxiety in any way they can, ignoring their mental health.
As humans we can undergo various injuries when the mind and body aren’t in sync even without us being under so much pressure compared to Athletes who are under so much pressure to win, the pressure they put on themselves, pressure for coaches, self-doubt, etc the injury can get even worse if they choose to ignore that the mind and body need to be in sync for them to participate.
It wasn’t until the Tokyo Olympics when elite athlete Simone Biles was unable to compete and became an advocate for mental health, that other athletes agreed that it is acceptable to take breaks and care for your mental health while shutting out all forms of pressure.
This article https://www.insider.com/athletes-mental-health-struggles-depression-2021-6 gives a detailed breakdown of elite athletes who complained about mental health issues and withdrawing from competitions.
The solution to improving athletes’ performance
- As much as athletes are trained to win, they should be able to balance their athletic physical activities with their mental activities, making it easy to detect if they are set to participate or not, and if they are not, they should know that taking a break and putting themselves first for a change isn’t a bad thing, and if fans and people around you care about you, they will support your decision.
- Mental health programs, advocates, and doctors should be stationed in gyms to assist these athletes and ensure that their minds and body are in sync while training or competing, preventing further injuries.
- Athletes should be aware that they have no ability to predict whether they will win or lose. As difficult as it may be to train so hard to win and then not win, athletes should compete with the intention of participating because they enjoy the sport. The fact that you enjoy the sport makes it feel less like a competition and allows you to relax and enjoy yourself while doing something you enjoy.
- Most athletes make the mistake of undervaluing themselves and concluding that they are competing for their fans/viewers rather than themselves, which can lead to anxiety or nervousness about whether or not they will be able to deliver or meet the needs of others. These athletes must be taught not to ignore their own emotions because it is important and taking a break doesn’t mean quitting.
Conclusion
Advocating for mental health should be a continuous process for athletes, and it is now established that elite athletes can speak up about their mental health issues more easily. This will be seen as a benchmark for upcoming athletes who aspire to be elite athletes in the future. Implementing mental health programs in the athletic environment at an early stage makes it easier to build athletes around the standard of understanding that taking a break is acceptable, which will lead to massive growth in sports.
