Exercise can help modulate stress and anxiety but being an athlete does not necessarily prevent mental health concerns. Anxiety Disorders are some of the most common mental health concerns for elite athletes. Specifically, student-athletes have additional stressors such as staying on top of classwork and grades. Luckily in recent years, elite level athletes have been open about seeking treatment. [...]
You weren’t playing your finest (or maybe you were!), and now….you’ve been benched. Is it the end of the world? It can sure feel like it (but it’s not). Is it permanent? Nope, but again… it can sure feel that way. Consider some different perspectives and associated tips to turn bench time into your secret weapon on the court. [...]
How does one athlete’s injury and fear of re-injury affect teammates? In sports like acrobatic gymnastics, group members rely on each other to perform each skill in their routine, and to perform them safely. Season-ending and other traumatic injuries can potentially affect everyone, both psychologically and in terms of performance. Naturally, observing it can lead to unintentionally rehearsing (mentally) [...]
While the benefits of sport participation (academic success, physical fitness, learning critical life skills, etc.) often lend to overall mental and physical well-being, it’s important to recognize some of the struggles athletes experience when living, performing, and competing under heightened expectations from themselves or others. Body image is one concept that tends to have a more negative connotation in [...]
Recently, Dr. Herzog was interviewed on the status of addressing mental health in youth sports and how it impacts both their performance and overall wellbeing. We thought it was prudent to share his responses with our community! What do you think is the biggest impact that mental health issues in youth sports has on the future of the athletes? [...]
Below are some of the mental skills practices that we regularly train for resilience and performance. They can be used in isolation or integrated as you hone the skills! Paced Breathing There is much research that supports the impact our breath has on our ability to perform. Practicing paced breathing regularly (per the guidance of a biofeedback expert such [...]
Mind-body interaction (“psychophysiology”) is spectacular. We think something, whether in conscious awareness or not, and our body has physiological reactions… this happens repeatedly every second of the day. Thoughts contribute to being regulated (e.g., mentally calm, with appropriate levels of physical alertness) or dysregulated (e.g., rapid thoughts or going blank, with inappropriate levels of physical alertness). In working with [...]
For simplicity purposes we could just say “nobody’s perfect” and leave it at that... but we all know there’s more to it than a catchy little phrase. When it comes to our children, we all want to see them accomplish great achievements. It’s also understandable for us to feel for them when they aren’t “perfect” ... when they aren’t [...]
In sport, we are taught from a young age to win at all costs and to avoid losing. Over time this can create an all-or-nothing association between winning and happiness vs. losing and disappointment. While winning feels satisfying, these brief moments of satisfaction can also fuel the belief that it’s only the outcome that matters; let’s explore why winning [...]
Group Starts online on Tuesday/Wednesday (Dates TBD), 2020 @ 7pm (A virtual group for athletes and other peak performers, feeling the brunt of missed opportunities, milestones, or achievements) For driven kids and young adults, the current COVID-19 crisis has been hard, between abrupt endings, uncertainty about the future, strained relationships, and more. It is important to give voice [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsuZMcNudSU&feature=youtu.be
This time of COVID-19 has thrown us all for a loop. Parents have become home-schooling teachers. Day-to-day norms have all radically changed. And so, we have to strive to accomplish a “new normal.” Routines provide stability and continuity in family life during times of stress, because: they facilitate a sense of control, protect well-being, help with work-life balance, and [...]
UNC Tarheel Women’s Lacrosse player, Katie Hoeg, put it perfectly. "We wanted to be angry at a specific person, or anything," Hoeg said, "But we knew there was nothing to be angry about. Like, this was completely out of our control. We have to do our part." Anger often provides the illusion of control in a situation that is [...]
In our lifetimes, we’ve never experienced anything quite like the current pandemic, its toll on health/lives, mental-emotional well-being, social ramifications, and economic impact. Rather than pretending that everything is “fine,” it’s more useful to be honest (with boundaries, determined by what feels right to you) and to model feeling, expressing, and managing emotions. Another way of putting this is [...]
I first published this on 3/12/20, but will continue adding links, particularly regarding mental health and coping in the face of COVID-19... First off, let me share some useful (and reliable) links about Coronavirus, so that you can learn more about what it is, how it is spread, and how it can be contained. This article and video from [...]
