University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
BeBulldogBrave: Athletes
What is Mental Health?
Mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, which influences how we feel, think, and even act. Although some people struggle with a diagnosable mental health disorder, mental health is about much more than whether or not you have a disorder. Our mental wellbeing can be looked at as a spectrum or continuum, from resilience and thriving to severe impairment. Even when we are struggling, how much we struggle also exists along a spectrum - from stress, to distress, to disorder. Throughout our life or even throughout the day our mental health can fluctuate along this spectrum! Many people believe that they have to wait until they have a disorder in order to seek out support, but you can and should seek out support regardless of where you are on this continuum. Just like your coach helps you to excel in your sport, a mental health provider can help you excel in your mental, emotional, and social life. Being mentally tough includes being vulnerable. The goal with mental health is to keep ourselves as well as possible, regardless of if we struggle with a diagnosable disorder!
Why Does Mental Health Matter?
Mental health influences every aspect of our lives!
It affects our:
-Thoughts
- Actions
- Feelings
- Confidence
- Abilities
- Physical capabilities
- Sport performance
- Academic performance
- Social connections
Our minds and emotions are extremely important to how we handle stressors, relate to others, make decisions, and how well we are able to perform in any area of our life. Mental health is just as important as physical health and is the foundation for all that we do. It is important to use time, resources, and energy to take care of it every single day.
Mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, which influences how we feel, think, and even act. Although some people struggle with a diagnosable mental health disorder, mental health is about much more than whether or not you have a disorder. Our mental wellbeing can be looked at as a spectrum or continuum, from resilience and thriving to severe impairment. Even when we are struggling, how much we struggle also exists along a spectrum - from stress, to distress, to disorder. Throughout our life or even throughout the day our mental health can fluctuate along this spectrum! Many people believe that they have to wait until they have a disorder in order to seek out support, but you can and should seek out support regardless of where you are on this continuum. Just like your coach helps you to excel in your sport, a mental health provider can help you excel in your mental, emotional, and social life. Being mentally tough includes being vulnerable. The goal with mental health is to keep ourselves as well as possible, regardless of if we struggle with a diagnosable disorder!
Why Does Mental Health Matter?
Mental health influences every aspect of our lives!
It affects our:
-Thoughts
- Actions
- Feelings
- Confidence
- Abilities
- Physical capabilities
- Sport performance
- Academic performance
- Social connections
Our minds and emotions are extremely important to how we handle stressors, relate to others, make decisions, and how well we are able to perform in any area of our life. Mental health is just as important as physical health and is the foundation for all that we do. It is important to use time, resources, and energy to take care of it every single day.
“When I first heard the term ‘mental health,’ the first thing that came to mind was mental toughness. Masking pain. Hiding it. Keeping it inside. That had been embedded in me since I was a kid. Never show weakness. Suck it up. Play through it. Live through it. Now, I realize that mental health means the total opposite.”
~ Brandon Marshall, Former NFL Wide Receiver
~ Brandon Marshall, Former NFL Wide Receiver
For support in finding mental health care, please contact:
Dr. Laura K. Jones, Mental Health Coordinator: ljones3@unca.edu
or
Dr. Jadarius (JD) Jackson, Mental Health Advisor: jadarius.jackson@gmail.com
Resources for Student-Athletes
Indicators
Why are indicators important to look out for?
Indicators are extremely important and useful to know. Watching out for indicators can help you understand when it may be time to reach out for help. Being knowledgeable about what to look out for in yourself or teammates can help prevent your or their hardships from getting more overwhelming or carrying on longer. When reaching out for help it is important to be able to communicate what feelings and struggles you are experiencing; knowing the indicators can help you to articulate that. Skills & Strategies
What are mindfulness skills and strategies and why are they important?
Mindfulness is a wonderful way to learn to be in the moment. As an athlete it can be hard to not think about what's coming next, or reflect on actions taken in the past. This kind of overthinking can lead to an increase in anxiety and stress. Mindfulness allows you to pause and reflect on the thoughts and feelings you're having.
Communication
Why are indicators important to look out for?
Indicators are extremely important and useful to know. Watching out for indicators can help you understand when it may be time to reach out for help. Being knowledgeable about what to look out for in yourself or teammates can help prevent your or their hardships from getting more overwhelming or carrying on longer. When reaching out for help it is important to be able to communicate what feelings and struggles you are experiencing; knowing the indicators can help you to articulate that. Skills & Strategies
What are mindfulness skills and strategies and why are they important?
Mindfulness is a wonderful way to learn to be in the moment. As an athlete it can be hard to not think about what's coming next, or reflect on actions taken in the past. This kind of overthinking can lead to an increase in anxiety and stress. Mindfulness allows you to pause and reflect on the thoughts and feelings you're having.
- Mindfulness (Link forthcoming)
Why are skills and strategies beneficial for prevention?
Cognitive skills and strategies can help us maintain or improve our mental health. Habits such as negative self-talk, constant guilt, and excessive worrying etc can wear us down over time, but there are ways we can counter these struggles and improve our mental health. The skills and strategies below are all about creating positive habits that will allow you to feel more content with yourself and in your life and possibly be more successful. The more you practice being kind to yourself and taking care of yourself the more you will feel a beneficial change in your mental health.
Cognitive skills and strategies can help us maintain or improve our mental health. Habits such as negative self-talk, constant guilt, and excessive worrying etc can wear us down over time, but there are ways we can counter these struggles and improve our mental health. The skills and strategies below are all about creating positive habits that will allow you to feel more content with yourself and in your life and possibly be more successful. The more you practice being kind to yourself and taking care of yourself the more you will feel a beneficial change in your mental health.
Communication
Why learning to communicate with our coaches matters:
The way in which you communicate with your coach can dictate the results and effectiveness of the conversation you are trying to have. Having positive communication skills will allow you to have the best experience possible within your time in athletics. The most important thing is that you and your coach have an understanding of one another and effective communication is a great way to accomplish that!