Yaaay!!! šš½ā¦. Itās Mental Health Awareness Week from May 13 to 19 May so I thoughtā¦.
Letās talkā¦. Footballers and Mental Health ! š§ āļøš©ŗ
Admittedly, we all need to take care of our mental health, especially if we work in high pressure environments. However, can you imagine having to handle that pressure living under a microscope in front of millions of people watching you in 4K Ultra HD every week, and having both your personal and professional lives scrutinised constantly? This is āLIFEā for majority of professional footballers.
The theme this year isā¦
ā³ļø āMovement: Moving more for our mental healthāā³ļø
The Mental Health Foundationās website states that: āEven a short burst of 10 minutes’ brisk walking can boost our mood and increase our mental alertness and energy. Movement helps us feel better about our bodies and improve self-esteem. It can also help reduce stress and anxiety and help us to sleep better.ā
Wellā¦. āMoving Moreā is certainly something I need to do š , but I donāt think itās something I need to preach to any footballers about ā½ļøšš½. The footballers I know are extremely hardworking and donāt stop moving. They are under constant pressure to be at their best. Thereās pressure from fans, who have paid for season tickets and want to see their teams at the top of the table; thereās pressure from the coaches whose jobs are on the line, thereās pressure from sponsors, investors and teammates, and in addition there is the internal pressure from the footballers themselves to be the best they can be! What a lot of people forget is that footballers are human, the same as the rest of us. YESā¦ some of them appear āsuper humanā and get paid good dosh, but they still feel the same emotions we all do!
In my time working with footballers Iāve had to manage the frustrations after a bad game/red card; the hurt after being racially abused; the concerns about the future; personal relationship breakdowns; the feelings of loneliness in a new team/country; the financial pressures from family back home; the tears after a bad injury; the disappointment of no playing time; the feeling of rejection after being released by a club; the depression that comes from being owed salaries; the feeling of grief, having lost a loved one and being far away from home, and the list goes on! Some of these are actually experienced by footballers who are barely adults. Despite all this, they get up, go onto the pitch with smiles and entertain us.
As much as itās certainly not all doom and gloom, the āhiddenā, not so great moments can have a huge negative impact on the mental health š.
Yes, I believe that some stress is good because it stretches you, motivates you and pushes you to the next level, but when it becomes excessive you need to reevaluate š°
Letās keep mooooving, and experiencing the natural high of endorphinsā¦ itās free and healthy šš½
Have a great week! ā¤ļø
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