I imagine you’ve seen this plastered all over the news, but still worth mentioning. Simone Biles, US Olympic Team gymnast, stepped down from the Olympic all-around finals to take care of her mental health.
“I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being.”
Specifically, she talked about how she lost her joy for gymnastics because she was “doing it for others”, which is something I can certainly identify with. No comparison, of course, but I used to enjoy cooking before I had to feed others on a schedule, and that’s just one example.
The Biles drama happened only a couple of months after #2 tennis player Naomi Osaka refused to speak to the media in the French Open to protect her mental wellbeing. Osaka intentionally uses her celebrity to be more open about mental health.
So granted, I often think that training for the Olympics is way easier than working full time with 3 kids (right?? 🤯 JK) but obviously these young women endure insane pressures, from teams, trainers, media, sponsors, and the public. For years, acknowledging that this mental situation is difficult, let alone insufferable, was unacceptable among top athletes.
Thankfully, the public perception is changing! From what I could see in the major media outlets these past two days, Simone Biles’ openness has been mostly regarded as positive and groundbreaking. This is an opportunity! Take advantage of the subject being hot right now to talk to your boss, friends or family about your mental wellbeing needs.
Conversation tips:
- Describe your own feelings and your needs
- If some of your challenges have to do with the way you interact with the other person, don’t blame them. Don’t say “you always, you never…” Describe the behavior from your point of view. “When you do this / react this way / ask me to do this, I feel that…”
- They are likely to respond. Be open-minded, curious and empathetic when they describe their point of view.
- Explain what boundaries are required for you to function well.
- Ask the other person to define their needs.
- Think creatively and collaboratively on what you both can do so that you can both thrive.
Reply/contact me to let me know how it went, and if you need more support, schedule a call!
Inspiration:
- Simone Biles (includes video) – https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/27/sport/simone-biles-tokyo-2020-olympics/index.html
- Naomi Osaka – https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/roland-garros/2021/naomi-osaka-withdraws-from-french-open-2021-tennis-world-reacts-to-huge-news-at-roland-garros_sto8347626/story.shtml
- New Netflix documentary about Naomi Osaka – https://www.netflix.com/il-en/title/81128594
Photo by Anna Tarazevich from Pexels
These are great tips!! Thank you for encouraging more conversation on this important topic.
I love this and it’s so true. And shout-out to the courage it takes to do this. The stigma is still there even as more and more of us struggle with the stress parade the past year has brought. I would just add – trust and listen to your body above and beyond what others are saying. Your body knows and is asking for help.
Excellent point, Heather. Also important to notice what happens in difficult conversations. When we tense up, it’s a message! Ideally, we should be comfortable talking with the people close to us about anything, also about mental wellbeing. Sometimes the cultural stigma makes as think they’re way more defensive/uncooperative than they actually are.
Love the inspiration you link to and the article. I know these days I’m completely in their camp and protecting my health and mental sanity by not going into burnout or doing too much for others (outside the family!) is my mission in 2021. We’re mid-year and I’m getting better with each month. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great going, Sally! Keep it up for a wonderful second half of 2021. 🙂