When people think of mental health, it seems that they generally think of mental illness as if the two were interchangeable. That’s a common mistake that I blame on society’s stigma. Mental health relates to the wellbeing of one’s mental state. Here’s a clearer description:

“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine who we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.”
– MentalHealth.gov

Mental illness, on the other hand, refers to a disorder such as depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, etc.

In order to improve mental wellness, it’s important to understand what issues look like. Sometimes when symptoms first present themselves, people overlook them because they are unaware of what is causing them or they prefer to ignore them. Some people might even label it as just being in a funk. This misconception is one more reason why everyone should know what to look out for.

Here are some signs that there could be a mental health issue:

• Loss of interest in activities that used to be fun
• Change in performance in sport or school or work
• Isolation and withdrawing from even friends
• Lack of motivation
• Feeling out of control
• Trouble making decisions or concentrating
• Racing thoughts
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Wanting to sleep all of the time or not being able to sleep at all
• Change in appetite
• Frequent mood swings and outbursts without warning
• Having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning
• Constantly being scared or worried
• Feeling like you can’t breathe
• Feeling like you want to take off and run away
• Feeling like you’re in a funk
• Poor hygiene

There are certainly more signs, but these are some very common ones. This not to say that if you or someone you know is presenting these signs, that they have a mental health issue, but it is always worth looking into.

In the United States, an estimated 50% of all Americans are diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder during their lifetime. (Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention)

We don’t question the toughness of athletes who overcome physical setbacks; in fact, we praise them for it, so why would we question athletes with mental health struggles?

Just as a physical injury can cause excruciating pain, so too can mental illness. Just because it’s invisible to another person, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Sometimes things happen and you can’t just get over it or walk it off. Just like you can’t simply get over a torn ACL by ignoring it, neither can you just get over a mental health issue by ignoring it.

At some point, everyone deals with trauma, stress, sadness, grieving, and a host of other issues that can affect your mental health. That doesn’t mean you’re a weak athlete or weak individual. It means you’re human.

Mental health coaching for athletes is a support system that goes beyond sports. Athletes aren’t robots. You have emotions and those emotions affect all areas of your life. A mental health coach is there to guide you through those emotions by simply asking questions and talking to help you achieve a clear mind. Click here to read more. 

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

Coaching is a professional relationship that enables a client to move forward in his or her work with greater clarity, focus, momentum, and success by finding and creating his or her own answers. A coach doesn’t “tell” a client what to do. Coaching is a process. Through the process a coach brings to the table, a client will experience: awareness, clarity, motivation, and confidence. (World Coach Institute)

For athletes, this means that a mental health coach will guide you to wellbeing through becoming aware of such blocks as emotions and negative thought habits, which can and will sneak up on anyone. Through this process, athletes develop mental health tools to improve all areas of his or her life.

Click here to read more. 

Teams are made up of individuals and those individuals change from time-to-time. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a mental wellness plan for teams in place that has a clearly defined and communicated but is also fluid.

For the athlete, a mental health coach is there for those times when an athlete has things going on that he or she can’t talk to their teammates or coaches about.

If you’re human, it’s guaranteed that you’ll have thoughts and emotions that you have to work through. While most athletes escape their everyday realities while playing their game, eventually you’ll have to be with your thoughts and emotions. If you suppress your problems, you’re likely to create more problems, which you can read more about in this article.

Not only is mental health essential to being a better athlete and teammate, it’s the one common goal everyone strives for and everyone can achieve regardless of which side of the ball you’re on. Rings, trophies, and memories fade. Athletes still have a life to live after all is said done in their down time, during the offseason, and eventually in retirement. In looking at the big picture, the one in which we know sports are temporary, the real work in life is achieving a daily well-rounded balance because when we get down to it, everyone’s goal is to achieve peace, clarity, and happiness. However, when your mental health is off-balance, everything else doesn’t seem as important.

Each coach sets his her or rate structure differently. Some coaches may charge $50 for a session and some may charge $500 or more. Typically, coaches will have package rates available. It’s more important that you find a coach who you feel comfortable with than to choose one by his or her rates. That’s because to truly get value for your time and money, you need someone you can talk to and who is good at what they do. Ask for referrals as well.

What are the benefits/results of working with a mental health coach?

Sometimes you just have to get things off your chest and unpack the heavy stuff. Every athlete knows the value of a clear mind and being in a state of flow. It’s possible to extend that to all areas of your life.  Click here to read more. 

An athlete may choose to hire a mental health coach for several reasons.

• They are struggling but they don’t want to go to someone within their team’s organization for help for one reason or another
• They are looking for someone who will partner with them and provide open access when they need someone to talk to
• They want to successfully transition into life after sports
• They need a confidential and safe space to have courageous conversations
• They want to remove mental blocks that could hold them back as an athlete and in their life outside of their sport
• They want to improve their confidence
• They want to move past worries and fears

Whether an athlete needs guidance while going through a tough time or just needs someone to talk to, they all have one thing in common: they need a space to be heard without judgment. Misty give them a space where they don’t need to put on a “tough guy” or “tough gal” appearance, but rather they can just be open and honest away from those in their personal life, coaches, and teammates.

Misty provides a safe space for confidential conversations with the goal of helping you move forward. She’ll partner with you to put your mind, body, and soul to work for you so you can rebuild the complete best version of yourself.