'Why me?'

Injuries in sport happen. Some are lucky enough to have a career without seriously getting injured, but some do have long term injuries and careers ending injuries.

Mentally this has a massive effect on our mental state.

When injured, because we can’t do what we are paid and hired to do, we feel we are of no use to the team and manager which can have leave us feeling like we are letting people down.

We feel that something/our purpose has been taken away from us.

We do need some time out to relax and unwind and use the time when injured to prioritise self-care.

Finding new interests or taking time to pursue other interests can be a great way to switch off.

Feeling isolated is what most sportsmen/women will go through.

There is always a silent conversation we are having with ourselves. Are we doing the right thing?

Should we be doing the same thing again and again?

Is this what we are passionate about or are we merely doing for the sake of doing it?

Not performing to the expected level is in fact a huge distraction and adds pressure on to not performing.

Trying to recapture the form you know that you are capable of and maintaining a standard set by others and possibly yourself can be stressful.

Your mind often works overtime on the drive home after the game, and feeling as if you are not equipped to do your job can be unbearable.

There will be times when you cannot play to the best of your ability due to unforeseen circumstances, or sometimes a lack of preparation mentally, physically, or both. During these times, it is important for you to have a realistic approach/perspective of your targets and outcomes.

My aim is to help you gain a healthy insight into your ‘here and now’ situation, to control your anxiety and keep you focused. 

Whilst it’s a dream of many athletes to perform in front of fans, fans are a contributing factor to mental health in sport. They project their frustration and anger onto individuals and often get personal and take it too far. Some people give their opinion on a subject they have little to no knowledge or experience in, in comparison to professionals within the sport. Ultimately, these people do not have credibility and their opinions are based only on what they think they know and believe. It doesn’t hide the fact that the opinions of others are hurtful and damaging to our mental health. 

With the ongoing rise of social media abuse, fans often try to tell athletes how to do their job they never did or failed at trying to do. This is the problem when people are too invested in sports figures. Their loss becomes their own and because they may not have participated in high level professional sports, and they can’t process and come to terms with the outcomes.  The fact of the matter is, you win some, you lose some  

To put it into perspective, it develops into mental health issues... over a football match. Some fans don’t understand what goes on in the real football world.

If you need some time out to relax and unwind, then do use the time when injured to prioritise self-care. You deserve it.

Things like yoga, colouring and DIY can be a great way to switch off. Finding new interests such as healthy hobbies help to direct your mind away from the stresses and demands of your profession.

Creating a budget can be a good first step if you’re not sure where to start – the Money Advice Service can help with this. Some people may find it helpful to choose a regular time each week to look at bills and other spending to stop debts piling up.

Withdrawing the amount of money you intend to spend each week can also help to manage your financial situation.