While trying to be the best you can be, your mental health can slowly start slipping away.  Up to 35% of athletes struggle with mental health.  If an athlete over-trains physically, they will reach a point where it causes more harm than benefit. Muscles will break down without a chance to recover, the athlete will expose themselves to a higher risk of injury. Similarly, athletes must take care of their mental wellness to maintain peak performance.

33% of all college students experience significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions. Among that group, 30% seek help. But for college athletes with mental health conditions, only 10% do.

Some people are scared to reach out to get help, but it’s easier than you may realize. Talk to your family, teammates, coaches or support staff; someone who you feel comfortable sharing what’s happening with you. Make an appointment with a therapist or trusted medical professional to help you identify sources of stress and manage your symptoms. Create a Self-Care Plan for yourself to make sure you’re setting aside time from training, academics and pressures of daily life to do something for yourself each day, such as meditate, practice yoga, take a walk, listen to music or walk your pet. It’s easy for your mental health to quickly suffer and slip, but that is something that you should really care about. Mental health is very important because it can seriously affect your game.

Mental health awareness month is May 1st- May 31st.