Anonymous asked: I have been struggling with anxiety and depression. I play a sport and have had trouble making my summer workouts happen between feeling physically and mentally bad. I am terrified my coach is going to think I'm just lazy and haven't been working hard this summer because I don't care. Should I talk to him about this? I'm seeing a counselor but we haven't talked about this issue yet and I don't see her for 2 weeks so I wondered if you had any advice.

If you feel comfortable talking with your coach about these issues then yes, I think it would be a great idea to broach this subject with them. Think about it this way: if you’d sprained your ankle over the summer, I’m sure you wouldn’t hesitate to let them know. In much the same way, your struggles with anxiety and depression are in no way your fault, and no reflection of your dedication to your sport.  This might be something worth liaising with your counselor about, as they might be able to help you think about the best way to tackle this issue. If your coach is understanding / not an ass, I’m sure they will be able to help you to develop ways to make sure you can balance the considerations of your mental health with the commitments to your sporting activities. If you run up against any trouble with this, please don’t hesitate to write back! Good luck!

Notes

  1. mindovermatterzine posted this