A post by Adam Peaty
High Performance can be and is most likely a lonely place.
I've been an athlete for almost 19 years and over a decade of that, I've been professional. Over that period of time, of course, lots of things change. To name a few…
- Environments
- Purpose
- Friends
- Professional Circle
- Relationships
- Aspirations and Goals
- Things or activities that fulfil happiness
When I'm lonely, I like to ask myself, “Who am I” “Why am I feeling like this?”. These seem simple but turn out to be very hard questions to answer initially. As athletes, we are always moving, learning and engaging but at the same time, we are also changing, adapting and finding ways to do the same thing more effectively. This makes it very difficult to have the time or energy to put into our social circle or events which would fuel our soul to make us less lonely. I'm looking for reassurance when I ask myself these questions to prove that I'm tough enough to do it or that it doesn't matter because this goal of mine is so great that it's worth anything, at any cost.
However, the more you leave these thoughts of loneliness, the more you struggle with simple every day tasks and performance. This is especially true when you're fatigued, in a calorie deficit, and you haven't seen the sun in 4 months. This is why it's so important for me to tell people about managing performance with their own mental health, because I have been there, knowing the horrible thoughts that would race across my mind. So how do we overcome it?
- Agreed strategies in place with your team or coach when going through a very tough time.
- Stopping for a rest instead of quitting.
- Staying connected with your teammates and friends/family.
- Taking time to walk outside to activate your brain.
- Finding a passion project or hobby.
- Looking at how much progress you have made to help yourself understand that the cost of the loneliness has been worth it.
I put the last point because I'm realistic. Everything great has to come at a price, and sometimes recognising the receipt of hard work would help me understand what I'm trying to buy and ultimately, is it worth the price.