Mental Health Resources

Mental Health Committee

Our Mission:

To educate our athletes on the importance of taking care of their mental health, and physical health throughout swim season and throughout the year. We want to make sure that taking care of mental health is on the priority list of all athletes, as it is just as important as physical health. How strong we are mentally has a big impact on how we perform inside and outside of the pool, and we want to bring more awareness to how common it is, and resources to help athletes get the help and support they need.

What We Do:

We make monthly slide show presentations on various topics that are relevant during that time of year.
We post our presentations of the pacific swimming instagram, and share it with various teams so they can share it with their swimmers.

Topics We Have Previously Discussed:

1. Anxiety in Athletics during COVID-19

2. What is Anxiety?

a. Simple Signs of Anxiety
b. How to Help
c. Resources

3. How To Have A Positive Mindset In Swim and Beyond

a. You’re not Alone!
b. Why do we feel so much pressure in the swim world?
c. How can we help ourselves?

4. Mental Health Overview

a. What is mental health?
b. Misconceptions
c. Mental Health vs. Mental Illness
d. How ups and downs of mental health affect our daily life
e. Coping mechanisms
f. How does mental health affect athletes?
g. Resources

5. Balance as a student athlete

a. Feeling overwhelmed
b. Recognize how you are feeling
c. Strategies on handling your schedule
d. Putting yourself first

6. Eating around the holiday season

a. What causes the stress?
b. What the stress can cause
c. How can you handle this anxiety around the holiday season?
d. What to remember
e. Treat yourself!

7. Building Confidence as an Athlete

a. Normalize mental health
b. How can confidence affect your performance?
c. Mindfulness
d. How can confidence make you a better teammate?

8. How to deal with Setbacks & How to stay motivated through them

a. What are setbacks?
b. How do setbacks impact an athlete’s mental health?
c. How can you stay motivated throughout the season?
d. How to manage setbacks
e. What to remember

9. Self-Care and time away from the pool (why it is vital to success)

a. What is self-care?
b. Why should athletes prioritize self-care?
c. “Isn’t making time away from the pool counterproductive?”
d. Why self-care relates to success as an athlete

10. Imposter syndrome in swimming and beyond:

a. What is imposter syndrome?
b. How have athletes experienced imposter syndrome in their sport?
c. How have athletes experienced imposter syndrome in other aspects of life?
d. What triggers athletes to experience imposter syndrome?
e. How have people noticed teammates' experience in imposter syndrome?
f. What can we take away from this data?

11. How you can be a mental health advocate in your sport:

a. How to notice when a teammate may be struggling
b. Check in with a teammate
c. What can you say to a teammate?
d. Ways you can inform a coach about mental health
e. Mental health check-in activity

12. How to manage your mental health during championship season

a. Analyze your emotions before competition
b. Do things that make you feel relaxed
c. Reach out to trusted peers
d. Remind yourself of the work you’ve done!

ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS CAN BE FOUND ON THE PACIFIC SWIMMING INSTAGRAM!

Remember: You are not alone! There are so many other athletes and peers who are going through similar experiences as you, do not be afraid to reach out to others in times of need. There will always be people there to love and support you. Lastly, always remember to be kind and patient with yourself!

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Mental Health Taskforce of Pacific Swimming's Athlete Representatives has put together a new Mental Health video presentation and slideshow for both athletes and adults.

Mental Health Overview - Video

Mental Health Overeview - Slideshow

If you missed the first two video in the series, Pressure in Swimming and Beyond & Anxiety in Athletics, you can click for the links to watch and for other mental health resources.

Pressure in Swimming and Beyond - Video

Pressure in Swimming and Beyond - Slideshow

Anxiety in Athletics During COVID-19 and Beyond - Video

Anxiety in Athletics During COVID-19 and Beyond - Slideshow

What is Anxiety?, Sources, and Other Mental Health Resources

These are the first videos in our series by the Pacific Swimming Mental Health Taskforce. We aim to educate the Pacific Swimming community and destigmatize mental illness by defining, providing resources, and debunking myths in the context of swimming.