Playing sports can be both challenging and rewarding while still having fun. Ending up with a win, a high score or a medal can make you feel on top of the world. However, being a student-athlete goes beyond keeping your body in the best physical shape possible for your chosen sport. 

Your mental health plays a pivotal role in every aspect of your life, including your endeavors as a student-athlete. By prioritizing your mental health along with your physical health, you can ensure that you’re able to give everything you have to being the best athlete you can. But how can you maintain good mental health while undergoing the pressures of being a student-athlete? That’s what we’re here to discuss.

We’ll talk about tips for student-athlete mental health as well as what you can do for more intensive support. 

7 mental health tips for student-athletes

There are more than 500,000 athletes in the U.S. who compete across 24 sports in the National Collegiate Athletics Association. Not only do student-athletes have to focus on thriving in their sport, but they also have to balance it along with their academics, social life and everyday responsibilities. Their packed schedules can put an extensive strain on both their physical and mental health.

By maintaining good mental health, student-athletes can learn how to improve their decision-making while competing, cope with challenges and decrease the risk of burnout. If your mind and body aren’t in sync, it’s impossible to play at your best.

Here are seven tips for student-athletes to maintain good mental health:

• Stick to your boundaries — As a student-athlete in college, pushing yourself is built into your mindset. While it’s important to always keep challenging yourself, you also need to know your limits. There are some things that will simply stretch your mind and body too far, increasing your risk of injury or burnout. You should set boundaries and stick to them in every aspect. This could mean anything from not performing a move or skill you don’t feel comfortable with to saying no to a social event after a long day at practice.
• Be kind to yourself — You probably tend to be too hard on yourself now and then, especially when you set high expectations for yourself or have goals you want to achieve. It’s important that you have self-compassion, especially when you make a mistake while competing. Being kind to yourself is a form of self-care that can readjust your thought process when something goes wrong. 
• Take care of your physical health — Your eating and exercise habits play a large role in both your athletic performance and your mental health. Eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet can help ensure that your brain has the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that it needs to function properly, including emotional regulation and energy. While regular exercise is often essential to success in many sports, it can also help reduce stress and improve your self-esteem.
• Practice positive self-talk — Understanding the importance of positive self-talk is another type of self-care. Everyone’s their own worst critic, especially for a student-athlete, where small mistakes can lead to a low score or lost game. Try to adjust your internal dialogue to reframe it in a positive way. For example, instead of thinking, “I can’t believe I missed that catch,” try to think, “I know that I can make the next catch.” Positive self-talk also includes affirmations, such as, “I’m great at what I do.” 
• Learn stress management — There are many stress management techniques that can come in handy for student-athletes, especially if you’re trying to quickly combat sudden, overwhelming distress. Learning how to practice mindfulness and meditation can help you release muscle tension, clear your mind and recenter yourself in order to focus on the current moment.
• Open up to your teammates — One of the best things about being a student-athlete is that you have a built-in support system. Whether you’re on a team or you’re training with other athletes in an individual sport, there are other people around you who are having similar challenges. Lean on your fellow student-athletes who can relate to your experiences. Not only can it be helpful to open up to others during good and bad times, but they can also provide you with their own perspectives and tips.
• Seek professional help — If you’re a student-athlete, then you’ve likely been playing or competing in a sport for a number of years. That means that you’re used to seeking guidance from your coaches, trainers and mentors about your physical performance. The same goes for your mental health. Don’t be afraid to ask for support from mental health professionals, such as counselors on your campus, outpatient therapists or sports psychologists. 

Lightfully U can help student-athletes maintain good mental health

If you’re not in the right mindset when you’re playing your sport, you’re not able to play your best. That’s why it’s essential for student-athletes to prioritize their mental health just as much as their physical health.

While everyone has mental health struggles sometimes, it’s important for student-athletes to know when they need further support or may be having symptoms of a mental health condition, such as generalized anxiety disorder. 

Our Lightfully U Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (vIOP), can help student-athletes when they need further support beyond outpatient care. It’s a virtual structured program that helps you address and work through mental health challenges by developing the right skills to manage them. The virtual option gives you the flexibility needed for your academic and sporting schedules.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.