Prioritizing Mental Health for Athletes After Organized Sports
Introduction
As a former athlete, transitioning from a childhood filled with organized sports to a life with no sports at all is a huge change that affects many people and is not talked about enough. Being on a schedule consisting of daily commitments such as practice and/or games to transitioning to a schedule of having to keep up with physical activity outside of sports is a hard realization once it comes to that abrupt end.
Since I did not continue my athletic career into college, I had a ton more adjusting to do than I expected. Over the course of time, I have developed habits that have helped me enjoy staying fit, keep me motivated, and help me to maintain a healthy lifestyle routine.
Find Your Niche
Adjusting to a new and different lifestyle no matter what stage of your life you are in is intimidating and can be challenging for many. Being so accustomed to the busy, time consuming routine that comes with playing sports, many people actually struggle more with the extra free time in their days that they used to wish for.
In my experience, after graduating from high school and doing cheer and gymnastics my whole life, I knew once I got to college I was going to be lost without it. I found it beneficial to involve myself in things around campus to keep myself busy and stayed open to trying new things to find what I was interested in. Throughout my years at Rowan University, I have taken workout classes at the campus recreation center, joined an intramural softball team with friends, and participated in various clubs and events. It was always important for me to keep my body active and moving.
Transitioning from weekly practices and games, to living on my own with no parent or coach by my side definitely felt like a setback when it came to my productivity and self-care. Getting myself involved on campus was the best decision I have made as a college student. Not only have I kept active and exercised, but I have made connections, friendships, and established good habits throughout this time. Life can be unpredictable, and there will be times when you won't be able to stick to your usual routine but don't beat yourself up if you have to change your plans. Instead, be willing to adapt and find ways to stay active in spite of unexpected challenges.
Set Goals
Staying physically active is only one piece to maintaining and establishing a healthy lifestyle after graduating from organized sports. There are many other aspects to keeping up with your mental health in order to prevent breakdowns and burning out.
Freshman year, I struggled with balancing everything I needed to do as a student, as well as maintain my own mental health. You cannot stay on top of your goals if you do not prioritize your mental health as well. A bad mental state controls everything on the inside and out. My planner became my best friend these past three years. I got into the habit of writing down not only my assignments, but scheduling out time for myself each day. Setting time aside to do what I enjoy to unwind was super helpful in my daily routine. Reading, meditating, going for a walk, even watching a show are all things I do to keep myself mentally in check. Being stretched thin with obligations affects my work ethic, mood, and state of mind.
Studies have shown that the average person should take about 2.5 hours of relaxation/downtime daily to feel stress relief. Setting that time out for myself at different points throughout my day has helped me a great amount with time management and productivity.
Socialize
Finding motivation to get up and go to the gym, go for a bike ride, or even take a walk around campus can be helpful and more exciting with a friend. Having someone to talk to and interact with can have a great impact on your day, especially with how much technology and remote jobs are beginning to be the norm. Having a friend is great to help hold each other accountable to stay fit and reach your goals.
Whether it was my roommates or my neighbors, making plans to stay fit with others is a motivator in itself. Taking walks is always on the top of my to do list because of how active campus is. You never know what events are being held around the student center, or fundraisers for different organizations around school.
Another tactic I found helpful with friends is study circles. Getting together in the business building, study rooms, or even meeting at a coffee shop has helped me stay on top of my studies, while enjoying my college experience. This way, I got to socialize with my friends and have a set time to get my work done, while again being held accountable. While playing sports, I was always used to only having a certain amount of time for my schoolwork and extra activities. Now that I don’t have scheduled practices, meetings, and games, getting together with others to focus on our work keeps me in that productive mindset. This leaves me time to deflect on my own, and use my alone time wisely.
Proper Nutrition
As much as getting out and moving your body is important, diet is 80% of your health. With a busy college schedule, it can be challenging to maintain a balanced diet. A simple way to incorporate more nutrients into your diet is by meal prepping, which can save time and ensure that you have meals you can grab and go. By prioritizing a balanced diet and making small changes to your eating habits, you can easily maintain your fitness and health goals.
I found it to be difficult to transition from home cooked meals, to then finding balanced meals in the dining hall. With having Celiac Disease, I cannot eat gluten, which was also a setback for me. Utilizing your university's dietitian regardless of your dietary needs, is a beneficial way to access all your resources to healthier options. After speaking with Rowan University's dietitian, I found multiple restaurants within the dining hall that accommodate my allergy, and was able to maintain the nutrients I needed to keep me going throughout the day.
Learning about all of your options not only eases the mind when entering the dining hall for your meals, but also will have huge positive effects on your function throughout the day. Utilizing my resources throughout campus definitely helped me plan my meals for the day and be assured I had something with nutritious value to get me through every day.
Conclusion
Adapting to a new environment and lifestyle can be challenging in many different ways, but staying active and fit doesn’t have to be one of them. Making these small adjustments to my daily routine after stepping away from cheer and gymnastics has helped me stay in shape and keep myself occupied in the best ways. Retiring from athletics doesn’t mean giving up your athleticism and identity. I took this new chapter of my life to try new things, and expand my interests.
By: Olivia Gill
PR and Marketing Intern
Citations
http://www.moval.org/GPUlive/pdfs/Board3a.pdf
https://healthyliving.extension.wisc.edu/articles/balancing-food-and-physical-activity/