Not many people were aware of the “concern” ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but they learned quickly when Simone Biles’ women’s gymnastics team pulled out of several events. as a result, he made the star’s mental health an important part of the Olympic commentary this time. around.
Biles has been open about going to therapy, and this summer in Paris, the GOAT (if we’re using formal titles), won gold medals at the team’s final, final and final event. vault. He also won silver on floor.
And it’s not just Biles. A few other moments at the Paris Olympics this summer put a positive spin on mental health:
Stephen Nedoroscik, the “pommel horse man,” had a viral moment when he was seen meditating before his event. Additionally, Ukrainian skier Yaroslava Mahuchikh sought a different kind of vacation. Mahuchikh was seen climbing into a sleeping bag during his event, sleeping between jumps. And sprinter Noah Lyles, the newly crowned fastest man in the world, said in a social media post: “I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety and depression. But I I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can be.”
All those athletes took the coveted medals for their countries.
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However, athletes are not always open about their mental health or how it affects their performance. It was a refreshing change to see that change, to remove the visible stigma surrounding it.
And this openness can be important, experts say, not only for the athletes, but also for the fans.
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Mindfulness—the ability to be fully present and aware of one’s thoughts and feelings—helps combat stress, but honoring knowledge can be what separates a great athlete from an even better one. .
Gretchen Schmelzer, a licensed psychologist who was a former US national rowing champion and coached the US women’s rowing team that went on to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, says often, training harder than competition is “a mental game, not a mind game. a physical game.”
“At the elite level of athletics, it’s your mind that separates you from the person sitting next to you,” says Schmelzer, who is also an author and co-founder of the Center for Trauma and Leadership.
And developing and maintaining mental strength can be important in competition.
Peter Economou, assistant professor of applied psychology at Rutgers University and director of behavioral health and wellness for Rutgers University Athletics, says: “Being able to manage your stress response is a way which we are working on at the highest level.”
When the conversation about mental health changed
In the years since Biles withdrew from Tokyo, athletes have spoken publicly about their mental health, but something happened before that may have prompted the change, Schmelzer says.
The Larry Nassar sexual assault case may be a “defining moment for mental health and sports,” Schmelzer says, with more fitness professionals coming forward, testifying and being open about it. and getting help for trauma.
Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor and Michigan State University doctor, was arrested in 2016 and found guilty of sexually abusing hundreds of women and girls, including Olympic champions, in pretense of providing medical treatment.
‘One can only take so much’
Other factors could have influenced the attitudes of athletes to encourage more openness about mental health.
Athletes share more with the general public, such as on social media, about many aspects of their lives, such as training, diet or sleeping habits. On TikTok, it’s easy to find athletes visiting the Olympic Village and showing off their pre-competition preparations.
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This cultural shift has helped many people, like Lyles, feel comfortable writing about their struggles.
After all, not only has the stigma around mental health decreased in the US, but the world has become more depressed over time, and “a person can only take so much before need support,” Schmelzer says.
So how can we learn from these Olympics and apply them in our lives? For starters, we can follow the lead of these athletes and talk freely with those around us about what we feel.
And as for our attention? Schmelzer says, try “taking 10 minutes in the morning, sitting outside and just looking at a tree, or walking or talking to a therapist.” It can be as simple as that.
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