The demands of being an athlete can often be daunting, and this is a sentiment felt by athletes of all ages. A recent clinical experience crystallizes how an ankle injury, which resulted in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, can challenge an athlete in complex ways and can deeply impact their lives.
What you need to know with just 74 days left to train for the Boston Marathon.
Keep your “Want” thinking in check: Many athletes let their “want” thinking run their training. I just “want” to finish this run; I “want” a qualifying time; I don’t “want” to let my financial supporters down. We are tricked by the sport ethic which tells us that “overcoming pain and fatigue” for our goal is being strong.
Mackenzie and Sharon are off to their annual sport psychology meeting in Big Sky, Montana.
The purpose of this three-day seminar is to bring together psychologists and mental health providers who practice in NCAA Division I/II/III collegiate athletic settings, professional teams and elite/Olympic athletic programs in providing psychological health care for athletes.
For athletes, especially in distance sports such as running and swimming, dealing with pain and discomfort comes with the territory. It’s not if pain and discomfort will surface, but when and how often. Putting the body under so much distress for miles and miles will certainly test the body and is part of the mental and physical preparation for these athletes.
But at what point do athletes decide to tough it out through the pain or surrender to avoid further discomfort? It’s a fine line that athletes must walk and requires mental fortitude.
For finance professionals, the market often dictates the overall sentiment of their career path and professional satisfaction. When you think about all of the events that can affect the financial environment, this may be a stressful pill to swallow.
Take Brexit, for example. Leading up to and after the groundbreaking vote in Britain, the markets took a drastic turn both overseas and here at home. Immediately, finance professionals felt the impact as they had to manage clients’ funds and their own job responsibilities.
The market is always on, and without proper guidance, the risk of burning out at work can increase dramatically. The good news is there are methods that can help you stay cool under the collar even when the markets are putting pressure on you.
For athletes of all levels, suffering an injury can be some of the most challenging moments they face in their career. Physically treating the injury is only a part of the recovery. Some sports lend themselves to more benign injuries—broken bones and pulled muscles— with very clear trajectories for recovery. Other sports often involving speed or technical environments (think diving, gymnastics, racecar driving, skiing, pole vaulting, equestrian) can render injuries that can be quite medically complicated and psychologically devastating.
The degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has been a hot topic in the sports world, especially in light of the NFL recently admitting to the link between football and the disease. The topic even spawned the critically claimed movie, Concussion, starring Will Smith.
Although plenty of studies have pointed to the link between CTE and contact sports such as football, hockey and boxing, there are studies that have been published that suggest otherwise.