Winning NBA’s stress game with a 3 Pointer: Be outside, Be barefoot, and Breath
There’s a stress epidemic plaguing us. Everyday stress is probably the hardest type of stress to notice initially. Continued strain on your body from routine stress can accumulate and result in serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, as well as mental disorders like depression or anxiety. Did you know that 1 in 5 adults in America experience a mental illness?
In general, young people are more prone than ever to mental health issues — 91% of Gen Z-ers ages 18–21 report that they’ve experienced at least one stress-related physical or emotional symptom in the last month. If this stress is left untreated, these young people become vulnerable to mental illness. According to National Alliance on Mental Illness, three-quarters of all chronic mental illness occurs by the age of 24.
The mental health crisis is particularly evident in the NBA, where numerous players, including Kevin Love, Liz Cambage, and Kelly Oubre Jr, have bravely come forward about their battles with stress, depression, and anxiety.
These types of issues may be more rampant than ever among basketball players. I think the extent may still be unknown. There is not enough focus given to detect, treat, and, most importantly, prevent it.
An inside look at professional basketball
During my 16 years of working individually with NBA players and elite athletes across multiple sports, the following is what I observed.
Imagine living your life with your every move scrutinized, analyzed, and constantly on display to the world every day…Once you are done with work each day, your day does not stop. You have at least half a dozen commitments you need to keep — family, friends, professional meetings, interviews, etc.
The demands are continuous for these young men. What most people forget is that most of these “grown, tall men” have just barely passed their teenage years and are just figuring out adult life!
The real issue isn’t these unrealistic demands these players have, but rather it’s that they are not taught or do not know how to do “self-care”. They do not know the “how to” or the importance of self-care to their mental and physical health and ultimately to game day performance.
Scientifically speaking, in states of chronic stress, our bodies turn on the “fight or flight response,” which is our brain’s way of responding when it detects a threat. If you’ve ever experienced a racing heartbeat, sweaty palms, and belly ache in a stressful moment, you know how intense it can feel. This is exactly what Liz Cambage said she experienced when she had the anxiety attack.
For many NBA players, there’s no escape from this ongoing stress response.
Physical health and mental health are inter-linked and go hand in hand. They do not have a chance to recover from the constant physical and mental stress they face.
It is a vicious cycle: All these physical issues compromise their ability to perform at the elite level required of them, which in turn exacerbates their stress even more! This can have major health repercussions, causing mental health issues like anxiety and depression and even leading to trouble sleeping, digestive problems, headaches, weight gain, and heart disease.
We need to teach these young athletes about selfcare early and give them the proper resources and education to address the problem early on and before it leads to greater problems. In turn, they can give their best to themselves, the organization, and the world.
Keeping psychiatrists on retainer is an important way to prevent and manage mental health crises when they arise, and for the NBA to invest in players’ health is a major step in the right direction. For NBA players, taking time to “pause” from life’s demands is the key to protecting themselves from the effects of chronic stress.
In other words, it’s not just about putting a band aid on the problem but rather preventing or reducing it.
In addition to mental health professionals, it’s crucial that every organization in the NBA requires a “gym closed” day once a week to focus on selfcare (e.g., be outside enjoying the sun and the air or do “absolutely nothing” for a few hours learning how to be by themselves without doing any type of activity or being on social media). This break provides a chance for these players to have the necessary physical and mental rest so their fried nervous systems and bodies can recoup.
Ways for you to Manage your Stress — Be a Kid again!
Point #1: Mindful Breathing
There’s a reason why mindfulness and meditation have been around since the 6th century. They play a crucial role in our physiology when it comes to minimizing the impact of stress.
Taking a deep breath or pausing to focus on your physical environment are powerful stress-reducers because they turn off the sympathetic nervous system’s response (the system responsible for the fight or flight response) in our bodies. Research shows that mindful meditation, which is essentially grounding ourselves in our physical reality, calms the nerves and allows the body to “rest and digest.”
Point #2: Touch the Ground
The missing ingredient in mental health isn’t always medication or an appointment with the psychiatrist. While these things are helpful, the body needs something much simpler: to breathe in fresh air and soak in the sunshine. Staying connected to nature is a vital building block of health for every human, but so many of us trade in the blue sky for screens, compromising our health along the way.
To glean the effects of nature in this powerful way is simple: walk barefoot on grass, dirt, sand, or unpainted concrete. Because the earth’s surface emits a negative electrical charge, direct contact with the ground is a safe and natural method for reducing cortisol and inflammatory markers. The practice of “earthing,” or bringing the human body into contact with the physical earth, has been shown to improve sleep, increase energy, and boost mood, all of which can help the body’s fight against stress and depression.
Going outside to heal: Personally, I consider this my 20 minutes of monumental selfcare every morning.
Point #3: Get some sun
Thankfully, making a change is simple: All we must do is turn off the TV or phone and replace it with a healthy dose of fresh air and sun each day, and repeat.
Retreating to Instagram or Netflix to “zone out” might seem like an appealing escape for NBA players, and for many of us. But staring at screens only compounds the damage, disconnecting them even further. What we need isn’t a 30-minute break to scroll our iPhones, but to be kids again and play outside.
There’s plenty of scientific evidence that sunlight is profoundly healing for the mind and body. It’s responsible for regulating sleep-wake cycles, producing vitamin D (which is essential for mood, immune support, and hormonal regulation), and producing serotonin, the “good mood” hormone.
No matter what the weather is like, there’s also research showing simply spending time outside can be a powerful way to both combat stress and heal mental illnesses like depression.
Balance of Offensive and Defensive Techniques
Like any good player knows, winning the game requires good offensive and defensive strategies. In the same way, fighting the stress that plagues the NBA means not just reacting to mental health crises, but being proactive.
There’s a time and a place for a great psychiatrist or mental health professional, and in many cases, medication is necessary for managing mental illness.
But the issue in the NBA, and in all our lives, isn’t just about treating illness. A holistic approach to health creates space for us to be our best selves in every area of our lives.
For these players to truly thrive, in the game and in their lives, holistic health can’t be an afterthought. It must be the priority. They need more education on how to care for themselves, from the inside out. As a result, we’ll not only have a stronger team, but stronger humans. And that’s the only win worth pursuing.
About the Author:
Navin Hettiarachchi currently works for an NBA team. He considers himself the “one stop shop” for healthcare.
