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Zach Steffen's Story

Zach Steffen, MLS athlete, talks about the importance of opening up about your mental health.
Love, Your Mind is teaming up with 11 professional sports leagues and organizations to harness the culturally influential power of sports, convening athletes to share mental health rituals and stories to normalize talking about and taking care of our mind. 

Find what works

Lightbulb Activity
Keep a routine that involves self-care
For:
Burnout ,
Sadness ,
Chronic health issues & disabilities ,
Workplace issues & unemployment ,
Relationship issues & breakups ,
Coping with discrimination & stigma
Sticking to a daily routine that includes self care can help things feel more stable and prevent against depression. Aim to eat and sleep at regular times, and make time for walks or exercise. Mental health is important too, so make time for seeing others and consider practicing meditation or deep breathing.
Lightbulb Activity
Take care of your physical health
For:
Anger ,
Burnout ,
Grief & loss
Taking care of your body is not only good for your heart and your brain—it also equips you to better deal with emotional challenges. Taking a daily walk or doing some type of physical activity, drinking lots of water, and getting enough sleep are all great steps you can take to maximize your help and minimize the risk (or lessen the negative impact) of larger health issues.
Video Play Watch • 1:51
Picture yourself at the top of your game
For:
Burnout ,
Worry ,
Workplace issues & unemployment ,
Sadness
Be like Mike. He credits tapping in to the power of his mind—visualizing himself winning—to helping him become a master of basketball. And it’s is something you can try too. What’s the equivalent to making a basket, or winning a championship trophy in your life? If you picture yourself achieving this in your mind, your brain actually does the work to create a new neural pathway. In non-science speak, this means when you visualize something vividly, and repeatedly, the brain feels like you’ve actually done the thing you’ve imagined. So when the situation arises in real life, you can be calm in the moment and worry a little less about how to do the thing because you’ve already experienced it your mind.

Resources

  • Online directory | Support group
    Find Support Groups | Mental Health America
    Mental Health America offers a list of online and in-person support groups for different communities, mental health conditions, and life challenges.
    Family conflict, Grief & loss, Non-substance addiction, Trauma, Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), For a loved one, Therapy, Addiction, Schizophrenia, For parents, Eating disorders, Postpartum Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety, Depression, Suicide, For men, For caregivers, Crisis support, For LGBTQ+ folks, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), For veterans, For folks with disabilities, For older folks, For survivors of trauma, assault or violence, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Gambling addiction, Sex addiction, For families, Virtual support group, In-person support group
  • Website
    Man Therapy
    Man Therapy® was created by a multidisciplinary team of suicidologists, mental health experts, marketing strategists, and creatives to make mental health approachable by using humor to break stigma and help men take action with tools and resources.
    Anger, Grief & loss, Trauma, Depression, Suicide, For men
  • Online directory
    FindTreatment.gov
    A confidential and anonymous resource for persons seeking treatment for mental and substance use disorders in the United States and its territories.
    Trauma, Non-substance addiction, Substance use, Therapy, Addiction, Schizophrenia, Psychosis, Eating disorders, Postpartum Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety, Depression, Suicide, Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
  • Online interactive tool(s)
    Where to get help | Mental Health America
    Mental Health America offers a "Where to Get Help" interactive tool to recommend locating mental health support resources based on your needs.
    Trauma, Therapy

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