Culture Change: Embracing Mental Health Awareness
May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. It was established more than seven decades ago to educate the public about the importance of mental health and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Though the month's recognition is decades old, its widespread acknowledgment and celebration is more recent, complete with PSAs aired during the NBA playoffs and NFL clubs “going green” for May. Conversations about mental health and overall wellness are increasing, and social media posts throughout the month suggest a general understanding of the importance of caring for one’s mental well-being.
Many entities host various mental health events every year during this month. These events have also been increasingly occurring in the world of sports. However, reflecting on both national statistics around mental health and the challenges we continue to see in our sports and local communities, we must prioritize our mental health—and the conversation—not just in May, but throughout the calendar year.
In the highly competitive world of professional sports, some athletes believe that focusing on their mental health is either unimportant or too daunting. Given all the demands that professional athletes must navigate daily, one can get into the habit of placing their mental health and emotional well-being on the back burner. The culture is also one that has historically reinforced the belief that asking for help or admitting difficulty is a sign of weakness, so the easiest path is to keep it to yourself and try to muscle through the pain. It is still too common for professional athletes to ignore their emotions, unable to articulate them, and have no idea when their mental health is being negatively affected. Limiting these important conversations to one month out of the year is insufficient to change this culture; however, it provides access to valuable information that can be incorporated throughout the year.
Taking an everyday approach to prioritizing mental health means doing the things that we all know enhance our emotional well-being: establishing a gratitude practice, journaling, exercising, getting high-quality sleep, increasing mental health literacy, creating healthy boundaries, and working with a professional. The National Council for Mental Well-Being, Mental Health America, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) have all created user-friendly toolkits with information, activities, and practical steps that we can all take to prioritize our mental health. These resources, in addition to 988, the national suicide and crisis lifeline are in place to meet the needs of everyone at any point on the mental health continuum—from thriving to being in crisis.
For those who continue to struggle with the stigma of asking for help—please know that you are not alone—there are many places where you can get help. Stop worrying about what others may think, stop fearing that you may be “bothering” people, and do not buy into the lie that asking for help is a sign of weakness. The more we can make mental health a normal part of our daily conversations, the more likely it is that we will prioritize mental health more than just during the month of May.
