Dr Nicola Eccles, Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing at On Wellbeing reveals how better mental health is within everyone’s grasp. Like elite athletes, the key is constant practice.
As the summer of 2024 unfolds, we’ve been immersed in an array of thrilling sports events, from the Euros and the Paris Olympic Games to Wimbledon. These events showcase the incredible physical abilities of athletes, but equally important is their mental resilience. Just as athletes train their bodies, they also train their minds to perform under pressure. This mental fortitude is essential for peak performance and can teach us valuable lessons about managing our own mental health.
The importance of mental health literacy
Despite the growing awareness of mental health, formal education on managing mental wellbeing remains scarce. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology highlights the significance of what’s been termed ‘mental health literacy’, which defines the ability to recognise, manage and prevent your own mental disorders. This knowledge is crucial for early intervention and treatment but is often lacking in the general population. Improving mental health literacy can empower individuals to take proactive steps in managing their mental health effectively.
According to the World Health Organization, promoting mental health literacy can reduce stigma and improve help-seeking behaviours, ultimately leading to better mental health outcomes. It’s essential to understand that mental health literacy isn’t just about identifying mental health issues but also about knowing how to maintain and improve mental wellbeing.
And like elite athletes, we are not born with these skills – and few of us are taught them in everyday life. We must learn them – and practice them time and again – to become adept at dealing with challenges.
Enhancing mental resilience
Developing mental resilience involves more than just avoiding stress; it requires building the capacity to handle it effectively. Here are some research-backed strategies:
- Cognitive Reframing: Changing the way one thinks about a situation can significantly alter its emotional impact. Research in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry shows that cognitive reframing can reduce anxiety and depression by shifting negative thought patterns to more positive ones. For instance, viewing a challenging work project as an opportunity for growth rather than a burden can improve both emotional response and performance.
- Gratitude Practice: Regular gratitude practice can foster a positive mindset and improve mental health. A report by the Association of Psychological Science found that individuals who wrote about things they were grateful for experienced greater psychological and physical wellbeing compared to those who focused on daily hassles. This can be incorporated into daily routines by keeping a gratitude journal.
- Developing a Growth Mindset: Embracing the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning is linked to greater resilience and achievement. American psychologist Professor Carol Dweck’s research indicates that those with a growth mindset are more likely to persevere through challenges and view failures as opportunities for learning. Cultivating this mindset involves seeing setbacks as temporary and surmountable.
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): While traditional meditation is well-known, MBSR offers a structured approach to integrating mindfulness into daily life. According to a study in JAMA Psychiatry, MBSR programmes significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress. This practice includes mindful walking and eating, making it more accessible for beginners.
Lessons from elite athletes
Elite athletes exemplify the power of mental resilience. According to Youth Sports Psychology, athletes invest in mental work alongside physical training to boost confidence, focus and stress management.
“Elite athletes DO extra,” says the report. “They find a way around obstacles and keep grinding through the long season. Elite athletes are “elite” not because they possess an inborn quality – but because they have learned a combination of mental skills and also take decisive action.”
Athletes demonstrate the value of perseverance and dedication, essential traits for achieving any goal. As Malcolm Gladwell famously pointed out in his book Outliers – which highlighted the ‘10,000 hours’ rule – “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”
Although Gladwell’s view that 10,000 hours of practice at anything will make you an expert has been debunked to an extent, even his critics admit that while that sort of commitment to your golf game, for example, may not put you in line for winning the Masters, it will make you a very good golfer.
And its mental resilience that often sets elite athletes apart. They need to manage pressure, maintain confidence, and focus, especially during high-stakes moments. This ability to perform under pressure is a skill that can be cultivated through consistent mental training.
Incorporating mental resilience into everyday life
Adopting strategies from elite athletes can be beneficial for everyone. Here are some additional tips:
- Visualisation: Many athletes use visualisation to prepare mentally for competition. Visualising success can help build confidence and reduce anxiety. A study in Topics in Applied Psychology found that mental imagery can enhance athletic performance by improving concentration and reducing stress.
- Goal Setting: Setting clear, achievable goals can provide direction and motivation. Breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks can make them less overwhelming and more attainable. Research shows that goal setting can significantly enhance performance and persistence.
- Social Support: Building a strong support network can provide emotional assistance and practical help during challenging times. Studies indicate that social support is a critical factor in developing resilience and overall wellbeing.
Embrace your inner athlete
As we enjoy this summer of sport, let these exhibitions of peak performance inspire us to invest in our mental resilience. By improving our mental health literacy and adopting evidence-based practices, we can navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and confidence. On Wellbeing offers the tools and support needed to embark on this journey. Just like the athletes we admire, we too can achieve improved mental health with dedication and practice. Embrace your inner athlete and take the first step towards a mentally resilient future.
For more insights and resources on mental wellbeing, visit On Wellbeing’s Insights section.
