When athletes have to battle the demons of the mind

CHENNAI: With the Tokyo Olympics pushed back by a year due to the coronavirus outbreak, many athletes across the globe have suffered a huge mental blow.
Their immediate dream of representing their country in the world's biggest sporting event has come to a screeching halt, virtually putting their lives in limbo.
To make matters worse, these ultra-competitive athletes, who usually lead strict, regimented lives, don't know how long the quarantine period will last, when international sport will eventually resume and what lies in store for their careers going forward.
According to renowned sports psychologist Mrinal Chakraborty, who has worked closely with the Indian hockey team and dozens of international athletes, a prolonged embargo on athletes' competitive daily lives can affect their mental well-being.

"It's an emergency and there are many things which are beyond you. So, controlling the controllables is important here. We're used to a certain pattern of life that has changed now," Chakraborty, who has been working with the Indian Olympics Association (IOA), told TOI. "You need to quickly shift and re-pattern your mind. It's like a mobile app…install it when you need and uninstall when you don't.
"It's important to continue with the same habit during this crisis or else an athlete's life can be ruined. I am live on Facebook at 5.55 am every day to connect with my students, so that they don't change their habits. I give them tasks and get feedback at 5 pm. It's been going smoothly and players have benefitted a lot," the Kolkata-based psychologist said.
Some top athletes seem to exhibit great mental strength, performing consistently well in front of packed galleries day in and day out. In reality, though, they are no less vulnerable to mental health problems.
"Do you remember Olympic swimming champions Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe, or cricketer Marcus Trescothick? All of them had issues. They were top performers but couldn't manage their mental well-being. Some of them came back stronger after going through proper counselling," said Karanbir Singh, who is associated with the high-performance centre at the Tata Steel sports department.
STRUGGLING THROUGH THE HIGHS: Swim legend Michael Phelps has been vocal about his bouts with depression and anxiety. (Getty Images)
According to Chennai-based sports psychologist Keerthana Swaminathan, being innovative during this period can help an athlete stay mentally fit and motivated.
"I've come across many cases where players have reinvented themselves, developed new skills in painting, drawing, singing or playing musical instruments.
"It's a very good option to stay mentally positive until they get back on track," Keerthana, who has been working with the Raman High Performance TT Centre, said.
Experts feel that during this prolonged isolation. There is a big possibility that many sportspersons will tend to catastrophize.
This is a mental state in which a person views a situation as considerably worse than it actually is. "Overthinking a situation which is beyond your control can only aggravate the problem. It's better to stay in the present and wait till normalcy is restored," Chakraborty added.
Total relaxation of body and mind play critical roles in staving off mental issues like depression and anxiety, and guidance from a yoga expert can be of huge help. "If you can make a good combination of five sense organs, it can create a peaceful mind. It's a time of crisis and the emotional quotient is very high. Keeping your mind relaxed is important," K Gopinath, who has been associated with MRF Pace Foundation for over a decade and also worked with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Narain Karthikeyan, said.
According to Gopinath, there are plenty of yoga asanas which can help fight stress and anxiety. "Tough times don't last, but tough people do," he said.