The world experienced an alarming and devastating international health crisis known as COVID-19 or Coronavirus. While this pandemic was consistently reported on, there was another catastrophe taking place at the same time- a mental health crisis. It was common for people to experience anxiety due to COVID-19 and its unknown long-term effects. If you need assistance managing post-pandemic anxiety, check out our past blog post, “How To Return To ‘Normal’ With Post Pandemic Anxiety”. Understandably, the pandemic has impacted each one of our lives in unique ways. We have had to respond to stressful and overwhelming situations that have caused troubling emotions. Luckily, we all can cope with stress in a healthy way which can make us more resilient.
Within recent years, there has been a widespread movement to dissolve the negative connotation surrounding mental health. Compassion, education, and personal attitudes towards mental health have successfully confronted the mental health stigma. The mental health stigma has been addressed and challenged by many, including athletes. Recently, Simone Biles, an American gymnast, and Naomi Osaka, a Japanese professional tennis player, have opened the doors for open conservations surrounding mental health. The brave decision on behalf of both of these women is actively altering the ‘norms’ of professional sports and people with celebrity status.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with psychotherapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, and life transitions. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and telehealth (video/phone) sessions to residents of New Jersey and New York.
Professional athletes are commonly viewed as the best of the best. Both children and adults are likely to recognize athletes as the personification of strength, liveliness, and speed; however, at the end of the day we are all the same- we are all human beings. Everyone has their breaking points, including professional athletes. There is strength in asking for help and, hopefully, by Biles and Osaka making this proclamation, more people will recognize the importance of prioritizing their mental health.
The Tokyo Olympics were an unprecedented event in many ways. In addition to the event being postponed a year and no spectators being permitted into the event, the world witnessed top performers openly discussing their mental health. Biles decided to withdraw from the team competition and individual all-around competition due to mental health complications. She boldly stated, “...we have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do” (Moniuszko, 2021).
Biles has not only prioritized her mental health during the Tokyo Olympics, but it also has been an ongoing process. She explains, “I thought I could figure it out on my own, but that’s sometimes not the case. And that’s not something you should feel guilty or ashamed of. Once I got over that fact, I actually enjoyed it and looked forward to going to therapy. It’s a safe space” (Moniuszko, 2021). Whether or not you are struggling with your mental health, therapy can be an asset to your life.
Mental health counselors can:
Provide a new, unbiased perspective on events in your life
Allow you to deeply comprehend your emotions
Help you develop stronger communication skills
Promote your self-esteem
Positively change your outlook on life and all of its components
Similar to Biles, Osaka expressed her mental health struggles on the world stage. These struggles led to Osaka pulling out of this year’s French Open and Wimbledon. Since she competed against Serena Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open, Osaka admitted that she has struggled with anxiety and depression. In an Instagram post, she shared, “The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that. Anyone that knows me knows I’m introverted, and anyone that has seen me at the tournaments will notice that I’m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety.”
While we often view athletes as superhumans, they are not. Everyone faces emotional and mental challenges and athletes have a particular burden on them to perform well. It may even be difficult for them to differentiate their personal lives from their professional accomplishments. Quite literally, Biles and Osaka felt the weight of the world on their shoulders. Mental health complications do not discriminate. It is important to take care of your mental health and support others in their mental health endeavors.
If you are struggling with your mental health, it may be helpful to:
Say “no” to people and events that do not serve you
Stop working and take time for your hobbies
Surround yourself with family and friends
Talk to a professional mental health counselor
Biles and Osaka have truly done something revolutionary by openly discussing their mental health. In many ways, their actions are part of a larger social and health movement that has prioritized mental health over success. Fortunately, the decisions of both Biles and Osaka have been met with great acceptance and appreciation. Slowly but surely, the stigma surrounding mental health is disintegrating.
The stigma that has surrounded mental health complications for years has prevented many from getting help. This fear and misunderstanding that the stigma has created can lead to prejudice. In other words, an important barrier is built to attain treatment.
If you want to help erase the negative connotation surrounding mental health, you can try to:
Be aware of mental health facts
Understand different attitudes and behaviors
Be mindful of the words you use in mental health conversations
Share mental health facts and news with others
Remain positive in the face of adversity
Support other individuals in their mental health endeavors
Include everyone in the larger mental health dialogue
While you may want to discuss mental health, it can be unsurprisingly hard to do so. It is not uncommon to struggle with opening up.
To help discuss your mental health, you can:
Talk to an unbiased individual (e.g., therapist or psychologist)
Keep a journal to monitor your thoughts and emotions
Understand that you will feel alleviated after confiding in a reliable source
Remember that other people are going through the same struggles you are experiencing
By openly discussing mental health, you can:
Reduce and eventually erase the stigma
Bring awareness to the growing mental health disorders
Encourage treatment
When discussing mental health, there are some things to keep in mind:
Avoid toxic positivity
Stop the need to label others by their illness
Do not label mental illness as “dangerous” or “frightful”
Biles and Osaka have shown the world that it is okay not to be okay. The conversation that both of these women have generated is a positive thing, setting milestones. As more people begin to openly ask for help, the stigma surrounding mental health will dissolve. Overall, mental health is health and it should be treated as such.
For additional information, please view the following sources:
Moniuszko, Sara Usa M. Today. “‘It’s Just Been Really Hard’: Simone Biles’ Most Powerful Statements about Mental Health.” USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2021.
Instagram: @naomiosaka
Instagram: @simonebiles
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is currently an undergraduate student at the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark, looking to study Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the graduate level. As a Social Media Manager at Anchor Therapy, Victoria is committed to producing content for and managing the office’s social media presence and blog.
