If you were one of the 32 million Americans reportedly tuning into the 2024 Olympics, you know Simone Biles had an amazing redemption tour. She’s brought a few medals home to add to her already impressive collection, but that is, arguably, not the most significant impact she made. Simone Biles spent 4 years working on her mental health. She returned to the Olympics and killed it. What is this teaching the millions of young female athletes watching and learning from her? Great athleticism and mental health do not have to be mutually exclusive. They watched the GOAT in her element with a genuine smile and a matt-side meditation practice. She challenged the idea that athletic success must be a miserable journey. Why? Because, as she says, “mental health matters”. This is a defining moment in the conversation around mental health in athletics. Your athletes are learning. They are celebrating her accomplishments and they are celebrating her bravery in her willingness to be vulnerable. Are you? As a coach, a mentor, or a leader in athletics, are you creating a safe space to discuss mental health? The reality is, this conversation saves lives. Even if we take Simone Biles’ passionate display…
This past weekend marked one year alcohol-free. For one whole year, I’ve intentionally chosen my mental health over alcohol. The choice came from waking up on a Sunday morning and feeling as if something was terribly wrong. I couldn’t name what exactly was wrong, but something needed to be fixed and fixed ASAP. I was panicked, scared, and stressed. I looked at my Husband and said, “Something is very wrong. I don’t know what, but I feel like it’s all about to fall apart.” The reality was everything was fine. My brain was just working against a large consumption of alcohol the night before. Drinking was never a large part of my life, but Friday and Saturday nights usually mean 2-3 drinks and a glass of wine on a weeknight date night. It was enough to throw my brain off balance and actively work against my medication. I could take my meds at the exact same time every day, but they weren’t doing any good when I was adding alcohol to the mix. I decided enough was enough. I had done so much work to reduce anxiety in my life and knew the biggest roadblock I was still facing was…
Almost one year ago I decided to quit drinking. That one decision has had a lasting impact on my mental health and my life. Here are the top 5 reasons I chose to stop drinking.
It was the day you woke up asking God, “What’s wrong with me?” It was the moment the thoughts were overwhelming so you crawled into bed and cried yourself to sleep. It was the morning you spent trying to figure out why the panic was there at the same time you had to calm yourself. It was the day you googled “what is wrong with me?” It was the journal entry that made you realize even talking about the shame would leave you feeling shameful, so you decided to keep it to yourself. It was the thought “someone has it worse than me, I should be grateful” playing on repeat. Maybe it was the day that made you feel like even leaving bed was too much to ask. Those moments, those heavy days, they’re really hard. I know, I’ve been there. It feels like you’re lifting the weight of your entire life, feeling the decades stack upon each other as the future grows darker. You think to yourself, “I can’t keep going like this. If the rest is going to be this hard, I can’t keep going like this. I need help.” I wish I could make you see how…
To be blunt, I decided to go to grad school for all the wrong reasons. My inner-critic was very loud at the time and the life-changing effects of anxiety medication and therapy had not yet entered my life. I was one year out of undergrad, living with my parents, and desperately searching for a recognizable path to success. Basically, I was in my early twenties and tired of feeling like I was frolicking around with no real direction. Acquaintances would regularly ask me “where are you working and living now?” and I hated my lack-of an answer. So, why not go back to school? Honestly, I wouldn’t trade my graduate experience. It was damn hard, but that was mostly the pressure I put on myself, not the actual program. However, if you’re coming to the end of your junior year of college or, like I was, trying to find the easy path after a few years away from school, I’d like to offer some advice: Do not go to grad school just because it’s the next step in the educational process. Grad school is like 4 years of college squished into 2 years with very little of the fun. Your…
The last few weeks have been HARD. My car was stolen (more on this later), I had a rental car for a couple weeks, I moved to a new apartment, I went through the process of buying a new car, found the stolen car 5 weeks after it was stolen, and I am now in the process of feeling secure in my car once again. It has been an emotional and psychological rollercoaster that I do not recommend. Unfortunately, life tends to throw things into life that we don’t expect and we’re all forced to deal whether we like it or not. That being said, I wanted to offer some helpful suggestions for getting through the tough times with strength and grace. 1. Feel all the feelings. Confusion, shock, pain, heartbreak, anger, fury, fear, anxiety, frustration, impatience… those are just a few of the emotions I felt the first day when I realized my car was gone. I cried. A lot. My thoughts became hurt and angry; I was confused as to why someone would do this. Despite the pain and negativity I was feeling, I allowed myself to feel all of it. Trying to avoid any of it wouldn’t allow me to get to where I…
Your student-athletes are watching Simone Biles. Are you?
If you were one of the 32 million Americans reportedly tuning into the 2024 Olympics, you know Simone Biles had an amazing redemption tour. She’s brought a few medals home to add to her already impressive collection, but that is, arguably, not the most significant impact she made. Simone Biles spent 4 years working on her mental health. She returned to the Olympics and killed it. What is this teaching the millions of young female athletes watching and learning from her? Great athleticism and mental health do not have to be mutually exclusive. They watched the GOAT in her element with a genuine smile and a matt-side meditation practice. She challenged the idea that athletic success must be a miserable journey. Why? Because, as she says, “mental health matters”. This is a defining moment in the conversation around mental health in athletics. Your athletes are learning. They are celebrating her accomplishments and they are celebrating her bravery in her willingness to be vulnerable. Are you? As a coach, a mentor, or a leader in athletics, are you creating a safe space to discuss mental health? The reality is, this conversation saves lives. Even if we take Simone Biles’ passionate display…
Alcohol-free anniversary: the first year
This past weekend marked one year alcohol-free. For one whole year, I’ve intentionally chosen my mental health over alcohol. The choice came from waking up on a Sunday morning and feeling as if something was terribly wrong. I couldn’t name what exactly was wrong, but something needed to be fixed and fixed ASAP. I was panicked, scared, and stressed. I looked at my Husband and said, “Something is very wrong. I don’t know what, but I feel like it’s all about to fall apart.” The reality was everything was fine. My brain was just working against a large consumption of alcohol the night before. Drinking was never a large part of my life, but Friday and Saturday nights usually mean 2-3 drinks and a glass of wine on a weeknight date night. It was enough to throw my brain off balance and actively work against my medication. I could take my meds at the exact same time every day, but they weren’t doing any good when I was adding alcohol to the mix. I decided enough was enough. I had done so much work to reduce anxiety in my life and knew the biggest roadblock I was still facing was…
I chose to quit drinking- here’s why
Almost one year ago I decided to quit drinking. That one decision has had a lasting impact on my mental health and my life. Here are the top 5 reasons I chose to stop drinking.
For the Hard Days
It was the day you woke up asking God, “What’s wrong with me?” It was the moment the thoughts were overwhelming so you crawled into bed and cried yourself to sleep. It was the morning you spent trying to figure out why the panic was there at the same time you had to calm yourself. It was the day you googled “what is wrong with me?” It was the journal entry that made you realize even talking about the shame would leave you feeling shameful, so you decided to keep it to yourself. It was the thought “someone has it worse than me, I should be grateful” playing on repeat. Maybe it was the day that made you feel like even leaving bed was too much to ask. Those moments, those heavy days, they’re really hard. I know, I’ve been there. It feels like you’re lifting the weight of your entire life, feeling the decades stack upon each other as the future grows darker. You think to yourself, “I can’t keep going like this. If the rest is going to be this hard, I can’t keep going like this. I need help.” I wish I could make you see how…
Why did I decide to go to grad school?
To be blunt, I decided to go to grad school for all the wrong reasons. My inner-critic was very loud at the time and the life-changing effects of anxiety medication and therapy had not yet entered my life. I was one year out of undergrad, living with my parents, and desperately searching for a recognizable path to success. Basically, I was in my early twenties and tired of feeling like I was frolicking around with no real direction. Acquaintances would regularly ask me “where are you working and living now?” and I hated my lack-of an answer. So, why not go back to school? Honestly, I wouldn’t trade my graduate experience. It was damn hard, but that was mostly the pressure I put on myself, not the actual program. However, if you’re coming to the end of your junior year of college or, like I was, trying to find the easy path after a few years away from school, I’d like to offer some advice: Do not go to grad school just because it’s the next step in the educational process. Grad school is like 4 years of college squished into 2 years with very little of the fun. Your…
My Top 5 Strategies for the Garbage Fire Days of Life
The last few weeks have been HARD. My car was stolen (more on this later), I had a rental car for a couple weeks, I moved to a new apartment, I went through the process of buying a new car, found the stolen car 5 weeks after it was stolen, and I am now in the process of feeling secure in my car once again. It has been an emotional and psychological rollercoaster that I do not recommend. Unfortunately, life tends to throw things into life that we don’t expect and we’re all forced to deal whether we like it or not. That being said, I wanted to offer some helpful suggestions for getting through the tough times with strength and grace. 1. Feel all the feelings. Confusion, shock, pain, heartbreak, anger, fury, fear, anxiety, frustration, impatience… those are just a few of the emotions I felt the first day when I realized my car was gone. I cried. A lot. My thoughts became hurt and angry; I was confused as to why someone would do this. Despite the pain and negativity I was feeling, I allowed myself to feel all of it. Trying to avoid any of it wouldn’t allow me to get to where I…