Players sustain injuries, and it’s nothing new. Ongoing sports injury problems that athletes have been experiencing throughout the competition are leading up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as the knockout rounds get underway.
The FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 is rife with accidents, with almost no team escaping unharmed. Injuries have been one of the main topics of conversation among football fans since the tournament’s build-up. The unusually high sports injury rate has many explanations.
The athletes are feeling the psychological effects of getting zero breaks between league matches and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Thus, the risk of mental illness in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022 is elevated by a sports injury. It is recognised as a significant risk factor for psychological distress.
Did you know that sports injury recovery and rehabilitation outcomes are influenced by mental health? This blog will discuss several self-help psychological skills that can help you rehabilitate from a sports injury. So, without further ado, let’s slip right into it.
What Is the Importance of Psychology to
Sports Injuries?
An athlete’s emotional reaction to an injury can speed up or slow down their physical recovery. Furthermore, an athlete experiencing emotional shame or stigma might not seek help. Based on our experience, we’ve deduced that simply asking athletes how they’re feeling emotionally can be very helpful when they are healing from a sports injury.
Psychological Effects of Sports Injuries
For athletes, participating in their sport can be a significant boost to their self-esteem. They experience enjoyment and self-satisfaction when they meet their goals and develop new skills. Consider a cyclist, for example. A cyclist might get on their bike; the road opens without a care in the world, a sense of release, and a physical outlet for stress. They can use their sport as a constructive way to deal with stress in their daily lives.
If you are a serious athlete, you have invested a lot of time in practising, competing, and surrounding yourself with people who share your goals. When you say, “I am an athlete,” you and others will understand what you mean. The athlete may suffer a severe psychological toll if an injury rears its ugly head.
The Psychology of Loss in Sports Injuries
Athletes frequently experience an identity crisis when they go through a sports injury, i.e., severe feelings of losing their identity for which they have worked hard. Now that they are injured, those training sessions with their friends are replaced with feelings of being lost and even feelings of jealousy that they can’t join you. Numerous psychological factors that athletes frequently encounter after getting hurt have been brought to light by research.
- Avoidance and self-Isolation
- Anxiety and worry about getting hurt again
- Exasperation, annoyance and irritability
- Depression and a sense of being lost
- Mental anguish, rage and tension
PTSD in Athletes
Anyone at any age can experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can arise after exposure to severe trauma. In the UK, PTSD affects about 6 million people, with 20% of cases being identified annually. Although it is challenging to quantify, it is believed that 1 in 9 athletes experience PTSD. PTSD in athletes can be difficult to diagnose and treat because of its complex presentation.
Several obstacles specific to athletes could unintentionally slow down or prevent access to the right clinical experts. Over the past ten years, several best practice models for athlete mental health screening have been created. Athletes can best recover if their multidisciplinary team of clinical experts are involved in treating PTSD in athletes.
Though PTSD in athletes is cured using the same trauma-informed treatments as in the general population, if their teams are involved, it helps take into account specific needs and preferences in the context of their sport.
Mental Skills that Can Support Sports Injury Recovery
Sports injury rehabilitation is frequently centred on physical therapy, but it’s crucial to incorporate sports psychology techniques to aid mental health recovery. It’s because injuries can cause athletes to feel a wide range of emotions, including denial, anger, sadness, anxiety, distress and even depression.
Anyone physically active and in otherwise good health may feel that an injury is unfair. Physical and psychological resiliency is needed to deal with the stress of an injury.
Although these emotions are genuine, it’s crucial to look beyond the bad and develop more uplifting coping mechanisms for this setback. Athletes who handle injuries with grace become more focused, flexible, and resilient. The following seven self-help techniques from sports psychology can be helpful for you if you have been a victim of sports injury:
Set Definite, Attainable Goals
Goal setting comes naturally to many athletes. They are accustomed to tracking data and assessing development to produce results. However, you need to control your tendency to push yourself if you have an injury. Set SMART goals—an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound—to keep progress manageable.
Imagine Your Healthy Self
Make sure to value the impact of imagination on your mental health. According to FIFA injury prevention, our brains are stimulated in the same areas when we visualise and carry out an action. For example, imagine yourself dashing across the field in full stride with two healthy, fully functional feet underneath you if you are recovering from a broken ankle.
Affirmations Of Success
Our minds may become clouded with unfavourable ideas when faced with significant life challenges. If you have been a victim of sports injury, you might miss your teammates, friends, or the joy of winning or scoring goals. So, keep a mantra written down, such as on your wallet or bathroom mirror. When doubts begin to creep in, read it or say it aloud to yourself.
Pay Attention to The Present
We want to feel better right away whenever we are injured. Particularly athletes frequently want to resume playing as soon as possible. The truth is that wounds would always take time and patience to heal. So, by focusing on the present rather than the future, you’re helping yourself more than you think.
Respect Your Emotions
It’s normal to feel disappointed by your inability to participate in playing sports that play a significant role in your life (either as a hobby or a career). Consider a lost activity to be just that—a loss. Consequently, you might go through the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). Recognising them is the first step to managing, owning, and overcoming these emotions.
Accept Assistance and Support
No professional athlete, especially one who has sustained an injury, can reach the pinnacle of their sport without assistance. No matter how much you’ve exercised or followed a diet, having a mentor, coach, or therapist by your side can help keep you motivated. Many professionals keep sports psychologists in their network whether they win or lose
Take Control and Command
Being rendered helpless by a sports injury is one of the most frustrating aspects of it. Additionally, even though you might not be able to repair a broken bone or torn ligament on your own, you can choose to rest when necessary and push yourself when it feels right. Taking responsibility for your situation prevents your injury from controlling you.
Rounding Up
While attention is still focused on the injured athlete, it is crucial to recognise and address general and athlete-specific mental health issues. For instance, clinicians can integrate coping mechanisms into an athletic programme as an early intervention for poor mental health functioning.
Athletes universally experience some injury at some point in their careers. The recovery process can be made less complicated by having a plan in place to deal with setbacks, whether they be financial, psychological, or physical.
That said, it’s impossible to foresee the challenges we’ll encounter or how we’ll handle them. So, advice from a mental health professional can frequently inspire us to take better care of ourselves. So, if you think you need assistance, get in touch with us straight immediately!
We’ll be there for you when no one else can!
