May is Mental Health Awareness Month
by Dr. Jennifer Gildner, Prime Sport Psychologist
Sport participation and exercise can be protective factors for mental health. But data shows that up to 35% of elite athletes suffer from a mental health crisis, which may manifest as stress, eating disorders, burnout, depression, or anxiety. (Athletes for Hope, 12/2020).
For "Weekend Warriors," the rate of psychological distress is 14.5% (Mark Hamer, Stuart J.H. Biddle, Emmanuel Stamatakis, 2017).
To prevent mental health issues from spiraling, pay attention to changes in your mood, be open to others when they are sharing their struggles, and know your resources.
Specifically, Sport Psychology services are available at Prime Sports through Sport Psychologist, Dr. Jennifer Gildner, of Empower Performance Psychology.
Four steps you can take to maintain and/or improve your mental health:
Sleep: Allow your body enough sleep that you wake up without an alarm. Develop a pre-bedtime routine and follow it each night regardless of your location. Your bed should be used only for sleep and for sex.
Nutrition: Provide your body with the fuel it requires for your daily energy needs. Work with a Dietician or Nutritionist to get that dialed in. Click here for information on Prime Nutrition Services.
Exercise: Follow your training plan and avoid exercising more than expected or necessary to prevent burnout. Your body needs time to rest and recover as much as it needs to be pushed.
Routine: Get back into healthy routines or develop new healthy routines as you start to get our more. Take your time with activities you haven’t done in awhile.
Mental Health Resources:
Guided Meditation for Athletes – Insight Timer
Mindfulness Meditation to help with sport-related anxiety
Athlete365 (blog posts/videos/articles on well -being)
Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use
Resources for a mental health emergency:
Text Crisis Line: Text "TEAM" to 741741
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
TrevorLifeline (LGBTQIA): 866-488-7386
As Mental Health Awareness Month, May is a great time to check in with yourself about how you are doing mentally and to learn more about the resources that are available to you for strengthening your mental health.
This May is particularly important as events and competitions resume and you may be starting to see how the past year has impacted you. Take the time to assess and reach out if you need support. And, though May is the perfect time to check in with yourself, focusing on your mental health is necessary throughout the year.
