How Can Counseling Help Me As A Competitive Athlete?

When you’re a competitive athlete, it’s easy for people to view you as some kind of machine, expected to perform and win time and time again. But, underneath your athletic abilities and talent, you’re only human. 

When you’re a competitive athlete, you’re a human with a lot of pressure on your shoulders. 

Whether you’re feeling the stress of your sport, the pressure to succeed, or you’re trying to get through the mental health challenges that often come with injuries and strain, counseling can be an effective way to cope. 

If you’ve never considered counseling before, let’s dig a little deeper into how it can help you as an athlete to maintain both your physical and mental well-being. 

Success for the Whole Self

One of the best reasons for an athlete to see a counselor is to foster and maintain a sense of wellness for the whole self. 

You probably wouldn’t dream of skipping practice or giving up on your training regimen. While exercise is good for your mental health and can combat stress, you’re probably not focused on that while you’re working out. You’re trying to get into peak physical condition to be as successful as possible in your sport. 

Counseling can help you redefine what success looks like. Wins and good performances are great, but when you experience the highs and lows of being an athlete, having a strong sense of mental wellness can help you remain stable and make it easier to manage your stress. 

Finding Motivation

Maybe you’re coming back to your sport after some time off. Maybe you’re feeling uninspired lately because you haven’t been performing at your peak. Or, maybe you’re just worried you’ve lost your love of the game, no matter what you play. 

Counseling can help you rediscover your passion and motivation by getting to the root cause of what’s destroying it. It could be anything from stress to relationship issues, or striking a healthy work-life balance. When you dig beneath the surface to determine what’s really making you feel indifferent, you can start taking steps to find your spark again. 

Stress Management

There’s no question that being a competitive athlete is stressful. There’s a lot of pressure on you to perform well and win, especially when there’s money involved. You might be thinking about that pressure even when you’re not playing or performing. That can cause a lot of stress that will seep into other areas of your life. 

Counseling can help with basic stress management, taking some of the pressure away and allowing you to focus on other things. It can improve your work-life balance, help you enjoy other areas of life, and even help you to perform better.

Injury Recovery

When you’re injured as an athlete, it can be overwhelming. You might be worried about how quickly you can heal, if you’ll be as strong or able as you once were, or if you’ll be able to remain competitive. That kind of anxiety takes a toll on your well-being and can lead to lasting negative consequences. 

Counseling can’t magically cause your injury to heal faster. But, it can help you maintain mental wellness as you heal and start training again. That allows you to focus on what’s important without letting anxiety take over. 

As you can see, there are plenty of ways in which counseling can help you as a competitive athlete. But, you don’t need to wait for something to “go wrong” or until your stress feels overwhelming to reach out for help. 

Feel free to contact us for more information or to set up an appointment. Sports counseling can help you train your mental well-being the same way you train your body, so don’t ignore the success of your whole self.