Mindfulness key to athletes' well-being amid quarantine

MANILA, Philippines — The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has derailed the lives of people across the globe, with little to no sense of normalcy in every day life.

And athletes and sports stars are no exception to this experience, with the health crisis affecting their routines and physical activity.

But apart from keeping their bodies ready with limited space and equipment during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), athletes also need to grapple with challenges in keeping themselves mentally healthy.

Philstar.com turned to sports psychology consultant Marcus Manalo to discuss athletes' mental struggles amid the health crisis and what athletes, and the general public as well, can do to cope.

Discomfort and uncertainty

According to Manalo, a break in an athlete's usual routines of training and playing their sport has been a common source of mental struggle during the health crisis.

"The fact that they don't get to train as they usually do, it's not just physical, it's also affecting their athletic identity and their overall psychological wellbeing," Manalo told Philstar.com in a phone interview.

"Now they're far from what they normally do, it creates some discomfort also for them," he said.

Botched plans, cancelled seasons and prolonged hiatus is also creating uncertainty in an athlete's headspace — especially those who depend financially on their role as sports personalities.

"[There's] uncertainty when it comes to when are they going back to training? or the tournaments, when will the tournaments resume?," Manalo said.

"And now... there's also a lot of uncertainty when it comes to their allowances or their salaries," he added.

As the fate of a number of commercial leagues remain hanging in the balance, professional athletes and collegiate athletes alike may experience salary cuts, or doubts on whether or not they will be able to receive what they were initially supposed to get financially.

For those who provide for their families through their sport, Manalo said this is an even bigger problem.

"Obviously, a lot of our athletes are breadwinners. This is not just about training anymore, being an athlete... but a lot of them are proviers for their families," he said.

"There are a lot of uncertainties and that can definitely can create a lot of stress and disappointment and anxieties."

Mindfulness as remedy

So what can athletes do to keep mentally healthy with the unpredictability of their futures?

Manalo suggests practicing mindfulness to keep the anxieties and stress of the pandemic at bay.

Mindfulness, as described by Manalo, is a non-judgmental awareness of the present moment where you make yourself aware of your thoughts and feelings.

"When you're able to strengthen your awareness, you are able to create a mindful space," Manalo said.

"In that mindful space, you are empowered to make wise and courageous choices about what actions to take," he added.

Manalo says mindfulness helps athletes avoid becoming reactionary to the situation, which may only bring harm to their mental wellbeing.

"With mindfulness, there is a recognition of the uncertainties, there are no guarantees... but I'm going to choose how to respond to this and this is the action that I will take," Manalo said.

"It's important, that awareness of our thoughts and feelings and just being able to stay in the present," he added.

With most of us in the same boat as we continue to battle with the physical and mental toll of the health crisis, mindfulness may become an effective tool for everyone in dealing with our thoughts and emotions.