Mental Health During COVID-19 - Take Care of Yourself Cyclones!

2020 has been a year off to an inauspicious start. The ending of athletic seasons for NCAA collegiate competitive athletes is one of great challenge and disappointment. We had so many athletes that had completed the entirety of their regular seasons and were sitting on the precipice of NCAA Championships and All-American honors; and we had so many other men and women that were in the middle of the grind - working daily to improve and chase those post-season goals. After so much is taken away; it is normal to experience grief, anger and question these decisions. We know that these were the right decisions; but that doesn't make it easier to accept and move forward. Athletes love to train for their sport, prepare for competition, be teammates, be challenged, and overcome obstacles and the separation of an athlete from what they love to do each and every day cannot be understated.

It is also very important to acknowledge that the feelings of loneliness, isolation and even depression that some athletes (and all of us) will feel during this time of social distancing and quarantine is normal and expected. We all experienced an especially abrupt departure from campus prior to spring break and all of the normal schedules & routines that we had become so accustomed to on a daily basis were instantly changed.

Knowing that there are bigger things happening in our world than NCAA Athletics at this time of COVID-19; we want to thank our front-line healthcare workers and our former students and student-athletes that are out there making a difference as Athletic Trainers, Physical Therapists, Physicians, Nurses, etc! We are waiting for the news that the peak has come and we are on the backside of this initial wave of outbreak. As we wait for such news; we do understand that the major life changes our current student-athletes have been asked to deal with are very challenging; and we want ALL of our student-athletes (current & former) to know that we are here to help!

Check out this video from Katie Blair - the mental health coordinator for Iowa State Athletics - as she talks about taking care of yourself during challenging times.

If you ever need to talk or discuss anything - contact your sport athletic trainer or Katie Blair!

GO CYCLONES!