Inspired By Olympians: Mental Health Tips To Try Today

Mental health issues are not exclusive. Every person, at some point in their life or even sometimes throughout their lifetime, will struggle with their thoughts, feelings, and mental state.  

Even Olympians have mental health concerns. Just as the body needs time to heal after injury or intense training, so does the mind. Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, Noah Lyles, and many others have communicated messages of great strength by making time for their mental well-being and speaking out to reduce stigma. After all, mental health disorders are common, with more than one in five U.S. adults having one, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Learn about some of the mental health experiences of Olympic athletes like Biles, Phelps, and Lyles, including the mental health tips we can borrow from them. 

Remember that when anxiety, stress, or other mental health issues become overwhelming, seeking professional treatment is recommended. Help is always available.

7 Tips To Support Your Mental Health

The following seven top-performing athletes have experienced mental health challenges firsthand and landed on a few practices to help maintain balance.

Mental Health Tip 1: Put Yourself First (Simone Biles)

Simone Biles, four-time American Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, unexpectedly stepped away during the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She would not be competing in the vault or uneven bars. Instead, she decided to prioritize herself and her mental health. Having spent years vigorously training and competing in a high-pressure environment, she experienced the “twisties:” when a gymnast’s body and mind don’t correctly sync. When this happened, Biles knew that it was time to tend to herself—and her self-care move inspired a worldwide conversation about mental health. She knew that her decision could raise questions, especially after she’d dedicated so much time to training. However, she also knew that her mind and body were more important than anything else, and that there would always be future opportunities to compete.

Mental Health Tip 2: Write Down Your Thoughts (Michael Phelps) 

Having won 23 Olympic gold medals, Michael Phelps is one of the most renowned athletes of all time. The American swimmer also deals with anxiety and major depression. One thing Phelps does to cope is write things down, he recently told Men’s Health. He pencils thoughts and random ideas in a journal or even just on scraps of paper. Getting his feelings out and writing them down helps him emotionally process whatever he’s going through. When he’s finished, Phelps reads what he wrote and asks self-reflective questions like, “Why was this day so good?” or “Why was this day so bad?” and “What happened to make it so good, and how can I do more of that?”

Mental Health Tip 3: Go To Therapy (Noah Lyles) 

Noah Lyles, an American track-and-field star athlete and gold medalist, is an advocate for mental health because he knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle. Lyles has shared candidly with the media about discussions with his therapist, such as the pressure he puts on himself to perform as an Olympic athlete. His own anger is what prompted Lyles to start therapy. After noticing that he was experiencing intense emotions, and sometimes expressing those emotions onto people and situations where it wasn’t warranted, he decided it was time for a change. He encourages others to seek the mental health support they need, and not be afraid to talk to someone.

Mental Health Tip 4: Trust The Process (Kevin Love)

Kevin Love, the American basketball power forward who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics, had a panic attack on the court, mid-game. As a young boy, Love was raised with the notion of emotional toughness, which meant that he wasn’t comfortable expressing his true feelings. The panic attack culminated from a pattern of bad sleeping patterns and mounting stress. He went to the hospital for treatment and was overwhelmed with thoughts of people finding out—and he asked himself why. From there, Love took one small action after another toward the betterment of his mental health. He was open and honest with his then-team, the Cavaliers, he started therapy, he shared about his struggles with other people to help break down the stigma, and he learned to trust the process.

Mental Health Tip 5: Know That You’re Never Alone (DeMar DeRozan)

DeMar DeRozan, American basketball player and Olympic champion, has been very vocal with the public about his struggles with depression. In speaking out, the Chicago Bulls forward reminds others that regardless of what someone does for a living, or what their social or financial status is, every person experiences their own silent struggles in life. Even if it feels like you’re alone in dealing with mental health struggles, you aren’t—and none of us are. DeRozan hopes that by speaking out about his struggles, he can help to reduce stigma and inspire other people to get the help they need, and not be afraid to share what they’re going through.

Mental Health Tip 6: Practice Mindfulness (Serena Williams)

Serena Williams, former American tennis player and the winner of four Olympic gold medals, has said that mental toughness is her greatest strength. Williams, who is recognized as one of the greatest American tennis players of all time, deals with anxiety and depression, both on and off the court. To help herself, Williams works on strengthening her mind. She practices mindfulness techniques, like mentally staying in the moment, reciting positive mantras to herself, and training herself to stay calm under pressure by focusing on smaller, albeit important, details.

Mental Health Tip 7: Consider Meditation (Nicola Adams)

Nicola Adams, former British professional boxer and the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing, ends each day with a meditation practice. As a woman in the sport of boxing, her career has been rife with overwhelming pressures to prove her skill and succeed. With a lot constantly weighing on her mind, Adams turns to meditation to practice routinely putting herself in a good headspace. When she was faced with the challenge of retiring from the sport, meditation also helped her to accept and transition into this next phase of her life.

Doing What’s Right For Your Mental Health

These Olympic athletes experience pressure from all angles: the pressure to perform, to lead their teams to success, to win awards and medals, to land sponsorships, to meet the expectations of their coaches and fans, to train their bodies for peak function, and more. However, regardless of job, skill, or status, every person is faced with their own set of challenges, responsibilities, and expectations, and some of them may feel difficult to manage.

Consider the above-mentioned mental health tips suggested by these athletes, and try experimenting with those that stand out to you. There is no one-size-fits-all remedy when it comes to mental health, so what works for you might not work for the next person. It might take a couple of tries until you find the right mix of behaviors, habits, and practices to best support your mental health. 

Mental Health Treatment Programs At Ark Behavioral Health

Getting connected with mental health treatment from licensed professionals can provide support for navigating life situations, dealing with difficult thoughts and feelings, and managing conditions like depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse.

Ark Behavioral Health offers residential mental health programs and behavioral therapy, as well as dual diagnosis treatment for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. 

Residential Mental Health Programs

Ark Behavioral Health offers primary short-term treatment for mental health disorders at Bedrock Recovery Center in Canton, MA, and Ohio Recovery Center in Van Wert, OH. During a 14- to 18-day treatment stay, clients receive personalized treatment and round-the-clock support from their care team. Individualized plans may involve a variety of services. 

Some of the treatment services available include:

• short-term stabilization
• medication management 
• individual and group psychotherapy 
• family psychoeducation
• wellness activities

With the support of these services, clients learn healthy coping mechanisms and are provided access to resources, such as housing and employment, so they can live independent, fulfilling lives.

Dual Diagnosis Care

Dual diagnosis treatment provides integrated care for clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Clients are able to receive treatment simultaneously for both conditions. 

Dual diagnosis care typically involves the following services:

• medical detox 
• medication management 
• individual and group psychotherapy 
• wellness activities 
• aftercare planning 

If addiction is a factor, it may be possible that drug or alcohol use triggered mental health symptoms, worsened existing mental health symptoms, and/or served as a way to cope with mental health symptoms. Dual diagnosis care can help clients understand their use of substances and how it may affect their mental health. 

Get Help Today

If you would like to learn more about the treatment options available to you or a loved one through Ark Behavioral Health, including those covered by your insurance, contact us today.