What is Mental Health?

What is mental health?

“Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development.”

~ World Health Organisation

Why is mental health in sports so important?

Participating in sports, does not make any athlete immune to mental health concerns, in fact the pressure of performance in games, commitment to rigorous training, often with a lack of sleep, spending time away from family and friends, and social media challenges, can be extremely tough to balance.

“I’ve had my own struggles with mental health, and feel it is a topic that is left untouched in many minority communities and the world of sports.”

~ Natasha Hastings, Olympic Track and Field

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Mental Health & Athletes