Team USA’s star gymnast Simone Biles has made an incredible comeback in Paris after taking a two-year hiatus from the sport to focus on her mental health.
Biles has vaulted and flipped her way to three gold medals at the Paris Olympics so far and despite her fall during the women’s balance beam final, she is a shining example of how taking a break to focus on your mental health can make you stronger in the long run.
So what lessons can we learn from Biles’ impressive return to the international stage?
1. A period of bad mental health doesn’t define your future
“Simone Biles’ remarkable return to gymnastics is a powerful reminder that a period of poor mental health doesn’t have to prevent someone from pursuing their aspirations and achieving great success,” says Brian Dow, chief executive of Mental Health UK.
“Her inspiring achievements at this year’s Olympics comes two years after she made what must have been a difficult decision to step back from her sport and seek professional help for her mental health.”
2. Put your mental health first
Don’t view time off as giving up, think of it as an opportunity to refocus.
“Simone Biles has shown that taking time for your own wellbeing isn’t a step back, but a step aside, to catch our breath, to refocus, and then to push on to greater things,” says Nathan Shearman, director of therapy and training at Red Umbrella Bespoke HealthCare Ltd.
“More often than not, when we take that time to look after our mental health, we’re then able to achieve more than before; we’re more creative, engaged, and enthusiastic about what we’re doing.”
3. It’s important to look out of for signs of burnout
The intense pressure of being expected to consistently win every competition took a toll on Biles’ mental health and she has spoken out about experiencing stress, burnout and mental blocks in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
“Stress can act as a powerful motivator, but if it is left unchecked over a longer period, stress can become burnout, which is much more difficult to manage,” explains Dow. “Signs of burnout include persistent fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep or appetite, feelings of hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.”
Dow encourages anyone who is experiencing these symptoms persistently to take a break and to contact their GP.
“Taking a step back from our work and our ambitions due to poor mental health can be challenging,” acknowledges Dow. “But letting go of some responsibility and prioritising your mental health is often necessary for recovery, while struggling on can do more harm in the long run.”
4. Know your limits
Everybody handles stress and pressure differently, so know your limits.
“Many people thrive under pressure, so it’s not as simple as just saying when the heat is on we need to step back,” explains Shearman. “It’s about knowing ourselves, knowing where our limits are and when that pressure is turning into stress.
“For many of us, we notice that physical symptoms – the fatigue and exhaustion – don’t go away no matter how much sleep we get.
“If you look at Simone’s demeanour during the Tokyo Olympics, you can see that she just wasn’t herself, and for many of us, that’s the sign that we need to take action.”
5. Make time to attend to your mental health
Incorporating good habits into our daily lives can make a massive difference to our mental health.
“If we think of mental health like a muscle, the more we attend to it, spend time looking after it then the stronger it becomes,” explains Shearman. “There will never magically be time just waiting there to be spent on our mental health so we have to prioritise it.”
Dow acknowledges that is not always possible to take a step back from our responsibilities, so has shared some lifestyle changes that could help improve our mental health in the long term.
“Put aside a little bit of time each day to prioritise activities for good mental health, such as practicing sleep hygiene for a good night’s rest, eating well, doing some physical exercise, connecting with loved ones and techniques such as mindfulness or journaling,” recommends Dow.
