Author Archive: Stephanie Salazar

Managing Long-Term Stress, Fatigue and Trauma

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Athletes Connected continues its resource stories for athletes coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. This story is about dealing with long-term stress, fatigue and trauma as a student-athlete.

By Will Heininger, Depression Center Outreach Coordinator

Let’s state the obvious right away; we are going through some, uh… weird times. (Unprecedented has lost its meaning at this point.) 

No one knows quite how to cope, or manage, or plan for what’s next, with so much uncertainty about the present and the future. What will the rest of this school year be like? When will there be a vaccine? When can I hug my loved ones again? When can we play our sport, and have a full season again? Will life ever get back to normal?

Uncertainty is often accompanied by stress. Loss is often accompanied by trauma. And prolonged stress often comes with fatigue. We know that the accumulation of stress over time–without proper outlets to alleviate that stress–is not good for our brains or our bodies, and can lead to more serious health conditions, including mental health issues.

Having the ability to tap into an inner state of calm, on demand, is an invaluable tool. Whether we’re feeling anxious about school, sports, social situations, or we just notice feeling worked up, practicing mindfulness proactively can help us navigate adversity as it arises.

So what can we do? How can we engage in our own lives, and approach our day-to-days in ways that minimize the accumulation of stress? Possibly even in ways that are enjoyable?

While there is no exact formula for wellness, the ideas below are based on evidence specifically related to stress, mental health, and well-being. As you read on, consider implementing one or more of the tool/strategies in your own life:

Managing Thoughts
Managing thoughts begins with noticing them in the first place. “What is my brain thinking? What thoughts are actually going through my mind?”

There is an abundance of evidence that our thoughts directly impact our feelings, or emotions, which then impact our choices, actions, and behaviors. We also know that as human beings, we experience ‘distorted’ or untrue thoughts, every single day. (Our brains aren’t perfect!)  By noticing our thoughts up front, or seeing them at distance, we give ourselves a chance to evaluate those thoughts: “Is it true? Is it helpful? Is there a more accurate way I could rephrase it?” 

Another way of approaching distorted, or troubling thoughts, is utilizing a “Best-Worst-Most Likely” approach, which allows us to consider a range of possible outcomes, as well as the probability of those outcomes.

Developing your Mindfulness Practice & Inner Calm
Simply paying attention to our thoughts is a form of practicing mindfulness in itself. Deep breathing is another way we can practice mindfulness, as are yoga, journaling, spending time in nature, listening to music, and even eating. There are countless ways to practice mindfulness, and tremendous benefits available when we do. 

Mindfulness can help reduce rumination and stress, improve our focus, make us less emotionally reactive, more cognitively flexible, and even more satisfied in our relationships – among other benefits – according to the American Psychological Association.

Having the ability to tap into an inner state of calm, on demand, is an invaluable tool. Whether we’re feeling anxious about school, sports, social situations, or we just notice feeling worked up, practicing mindfulness proactively can help us navigate adversity as it arises.

Aligning Multiple Forms of Support
Just as a stool with only two or three legs – or supports – is less stable than a stool with five or six, having multiple forms of support in our lives can help keep us steady and balanced as individuals in the case that one or more is removed. 

These supports, or legs of the stool to stick with the analogy, can and should be diverse in nature. Our sports can provide us support, both from the exercise, and from the meaningful relationships we develop.

Additional relationships, like those with our families, academic cohorts, and friend groups, provide further supports, as do healthy personal habits related to nutrition, sleep, and recovery. For many, regularly speaking with a mental health professional is a tremendous form of support, especially during turbulent times. Religious groups and spiritual practice serve as further examples.

Staying connected with friends and loved ones is a great way to strengthen those bonds, in the same way working out is a great way to strengthen your muscles. We cannot always control what happens in our relationships, just as we do not control when we get injured in our sports.

We can, however, proactively align multiple forms of support for ourselves. That way, in the unfortunate event that we lose one or more of our supports – or some legs of our stool become compromised – our stool is still standing, and we are able to cope, navigate adversity, and function effectively.

Additional Resources:

About the Author

Will Heininger is mental health educator and public speaker for the University of Michigan Depression Center, openly sharing his story of overcoming major depression and anxiety during undergrad, while playing football at Michigan. After hiding his illness at first due to stigma and ignorance, he received life-changing treatment and care from the Athletic Medicine staff, and was able to thrive for the majority of his time at Michigan. He would go on to help found Athletes Connected in 2014.

Since first sharing his story at the Depression on College Campuses Conference, Will has spoken with over 100,000 people across the country, helping to bridge the gap between what science and medicine have learned about mental health and well-being, and what society actually knows and uses. In addition to athletes of all levels, Will works with schools, athletic departments, communities, and corporations to improve mental health outcomes. Heininger is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Michigan Daily: Athletes Connected and Athletic Counseling support athletes during pandemic

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The Michigan Daily wrote a story about Athletes Connected & ACT supporting athletes during the pandemic.

By Jacob Cohen

March 12 — the day that the NCAA cancelled spring sports — was a sad day for many in Michigan athletics.

Amid the chaos of a world entering quarantine, student-athletes, teams and coaches all felt the specific pain of a sports world grinding to a halt.

We wrote articles specific to navigating the new normal of the pandemic, to creating a learning environment in this new kind of remote learning situation that most people were familiar with and an athlete guide to coping with COVID-19

Student-athletes found themselves without their sports and without their teammates, a foreign position that was as isolating as it was uncertain, leaving many with the need for new sorts of mental health and wellness support.

Athletics Counseling and Athletes Connected — a program run by Michigan athletics, Michigan School of Social Work and the Michigan Depression Center — began trying to fill that void. Athletes Connected has been working to decrease the stigma around mental health and provide mental health resources to Michigan student-athletes since 2014, but its name has become increasingly fitting since March 12 — a time in which Athletes Connected took on the challenge of keeping the community united during a time of great separation.

“We wrote articles specific to navigating the new normal of the pandemic, to creating a learning environment in this new kind of remote learning situation that most people were familiar with and an athlete guide to coping with COVID-19,” Rachel Amity, Athletes Connected program coordinator said.

With this shift to pandemic care came the expected shift to fully-virtual services, but Athletes Connected was ready. Student-athletes already have jam-packed schedules, juggling class, homework and practice. With this in mind, Athletes Connected has favored asynchronous content in the past, using short videos and written material.

Read the rest of the story on michigandaily.com.

Athletes Connected Welcomes U-M School of Social Work

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By Jeremy Fallis, Marketing Communications Specialist, U-M Depression Center

The Athletes Connected program is proud to announce new collaborative partner, the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Athletes Connected continues to be supported by the U-M Athletic Department, the U-M Depression Center.

As part of the new partnership, the research component of Athletes Connected will be conducted out of the School of Social Work. Leading that charge will be Abigail Eiler, LMSW, QMHP, clinical assistant professor and the director of the U-M Athletics Counseling Team.

Athletes Connected thanks its past research partner, the U-M School of Public Health, for its committed work in athlete mental health.

Moreover, as announced in the Summer 2020 newsletter, the program wishes Dr. Daniel Eisenberg and his family well at UCLA. Dr. Eisenberg has served as faculty Principal Investigator leading the scientific evaluation of the program’s effectiveness. Dr. Eisenberg was the Co-Principal Investigator when Athletes Connected was established by pilot funding from an NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant in 2014.

The Unavoidable Worry of the Unknown

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Athletes Connected continues its resource stories for athletes coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. This story is about dealing with worry, stress and anxiety due to a postponed season.

By Rachel Amity, MSW, Athletes Connected Program Coordinator

Worry and stress have been seemingly unavoidable in recent months. For many of us, it may feel like there are considerably more unknowns than we are used to in the current coronavirus pandemic.

We may typically feel anxiety about an upcoming exam, a first date, a big game, or what we’re going to do after graduation.

when we worry excessively, or have chronic anxiety, we may start to over-contemplate worst case scenarios. When our worry is excessive or we find ourselves jumping to these conclusions, the worry can stop being useful.

These days, there are added stressors such as postponed seasons, financial impacts due to the pandemic, and stress from isolation and social distancing.

Though these situations are all different and may cause different levels of anxiety, they all have something in common: the outcomes are unknown. By nature, worry and anxiety are future-oriented states. Stress and worry can be useful by helping us prepare; they allow us to consider possible outcomes and consequences, can motivate us, and can signal that something doesn’t feel right.

Nevertheless, when we worry excessively, or have chronic anxiety, we may start to over-contemplate worst case scenarios. When our worry is excessive or we find ourselves jumping to these conclusions, the worry can stop being useful. Below are some questions to consider to help determine whether your worry is useful, or if it is only serving to increase anxiety levels.

Think of a situation that is causing you anxiety. Ask yourself:

  1. What is the best case scenario in this situation?
    1. Some of us are experts in identifying the worst case scenario, so much so that we can forget to consider what other possibilities are. Approach this from a perspective in which the best case scenario is equally as probable as the worst case scenario.
  2. What is the worst case scenario?
    1. This might be the easiest response to come up with. Our brains can be pretty good at this one, especially when we’re already anxious about the outcome. 
  3. What’s the most likely scenario? 
    1. In many cases, things fall somewhere between best and worst. For example, if you are nervous about an exam, the most likely scenario may be that you get a B-. Not an A (the best case), but also not a failing grade (the worst case). 

Now that you have considered each of these questions, let’s revisit the worst case scenario. In the event that this comes true, what would you do to cope with it?  What tools do you have to deal with this? Where or who do you go to for support? 

Have there been times in the past that things didn’t go as you hoped or planned? How did you manage those situations? 

Example scenarios:

Let’s consider the scenario that your season is postponed. Every person will react differently to the same situation. One person may approach that situation from this perspective:

Best case scenario:
My season is postponed for now. I’m upset, but I recognize my teammates and I won’t have to worry about traveling and getting infected. In the best case scenario, we will still get to spend time together as a team, socializing and staying in shape, and we still have hope of possibly playing in the spring instead of in the Fall. 

Worst case scenario:
My season is canceled, I’m devastated, and I feel like I have lost my sense of purpose on campus. I won’t be able to access training facilities and I won’t be able to see my teammates and/or my family as much as I want to. This cancellation also means I might not get a chance to compete at this level again.

Most likely:
My season is postponed, and I’ll be really sad, maybe even angry. It will be difficult for me to figure out how to spend all of my time and to be without the same training regimen and competitions, but I have been coping with the pandemic throughout the spring and summer so far, so I will be OK. I will also be able to dedicate more time to my classes this semester, and I’ll have more free time to explore other interests that I have not had time for because of sport. 

If the worst case does come true, I know I can talk to my athletic trainer and my strength and conditioning coach to help me come up with a plan to keep me as fit as I can in the circumstances. I also know I can talk to my family, friends, and roommates when I’m feeling stressed, especially because I’m pretty sure most of my teammates will feel similarly.

Another person may approach the same situation from this perspective:

Best case scenario:
My season is postponed and I’m relieved. I have been experiencing significant anxiety about competing this season, and honestly I feel more comfortable knowing I won’t be playing. Of course, I am still disappointed about missing a season, but I will be less stressed not competing than competing. I am also looking forward to being able to focus on academics more since this year is going to be tough academically.

Worst case scenario:
My season is canceled and I am relieved at first, but it ends up being harder than I think it will. In the worst case scenario, I worry that the relief will wear off and I will be very upset and end up out of shape by the time I need to compete again. I also worry about expressing my relief to teammates and coaches who I know want to play this season.

Most likely:
Chances are it will be a mix of both of these. I will probably feel relieved, but it will probably also be difficult and sad, especially since I know some of my teammates will be very upset about the season being postponed. My academics may benefit from more time, but it will be a transition since I’m not used to that sort of schedule – although I did get some practice with it in the spring and it turned out OK.

If the worst case does come true, I will rely on my teammates because I know that they will feel similarly. I know I can talk to my family and my athletic counselor about my concerns as well. I will also keep using the Calm app and listening to music in moments where I feel worried or upset.

As you can see from these two examples, there are common themes and feelings, but the exact best and worst case scenarios are noticeably different, as are each person’s coping skills and tools.

It’s important to remember that, even in the exact same situation, people will respond and react differently.

We can’t always control the situations causing us to worry, the outcomes, or how other people respond–in fact, not being in control is often why we’re worrying. But, we can control how we respond to situations. 

Additional Resources:

About the Author
Rachel Amity is the Athletes Connected program coordinator and a member of the U-M Athletic Counseling Team. Previously, she worked as the MSW intern with the athletic department. Rachel is originally from Corvallis, Oregon, where she grew up playing soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse. She graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, where she also worked as a student athletic trainer.

NWI.com: Routine needed in times that are anything but

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NWI.com sports medicine columnist John Doherty wrote a piece about how routine is needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. He spoke with Athletes Connected’s Will Heininger for this story about the program, his journey, and advice for those seeking a routine.

By John Doherty

Michigan football fans may remember Will Heininger. A defensive tackle for the Wolverines, he was a four-time Academic All-Big-Ten winner and Distinguished Scholar, who graduated in 2011.

I interviewed him two years later at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis following a press conference sponsored by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association regarding mental health in college athletics. Heininger was the final speaker to come to the podium that day — to give a face to the problem.

His was a face and story you might not expect.

Near the end of his freshman year, his parents divorced and Heininger went into a deep depression. Initially, he shared his pain with nobody, except his mother.

One day at the end of a practice, though, Wolverine athletic trainer Lenny Navitskis noticed Heininger with tears in his eyes for no apparent reason. Navitskis pulled the athlete aside and asked what was going on. When given an answer, he immediately took Heininger to the office of athletic department social worker Barb Hansen.

“As athletes, we are so accustomed to routine. A lot of student-athletes thrive on the regulation that comes with that routine. Everyone is dealing with the (current) uncertainty and we deal with that in different ways, whether you are a senior and unsure whether you are ever going to get to compete again or if you are a freshman and this is not the experience you anticipated coming in.” — Will Heininger

“(Her) office was in the football building where I spent the majority of my life,” said Heininger, “and I had never known it. A combination of good therapy from Barb, the right medicine, and love from family and friends helped me climb out from the depths of this horrible disease.”

The appearance in Indianapolis was a life-changing moment for Heininger. He had spoken about his struggles publicly only two or three times previously but at NCAA headquarters, it was the first time with any media present. As a result, it was also the first time many of his former teammates learned of his difficulties.

Shortly thereafter, the University of Michigan Depression Center successfully applied for an NCAA grant. It was intended to improve mental health among student athletes.

“I got a call from them and they asked if I wanted to come work on this project,” Heininger told me earlier this month. “At the same time, I was talking to (then football) coach Brady Hoke and about coming back and helping out with the staff a little bit there. So, I left Chicago in 2014. The first year, I did a split of football and working on this program that would become Athletes Connected, eventually. I have since moved into working more with the Depression Center and working more on outreach and education programing.”

The Athletes Connected program is, according to its website, “a unique collaboration between the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Depression Center, and Athletic Department to increase awareness of mental health issues, reduce the stigma of help-seeking, and promote positive coping skills among student athletes.”

With all the uncertainty they are currently facing, athletes need positive coping skills more than ever. In the pre-COVID-19 world, Heininger reported, 25-33% of athletes could be expected to experience a mental health issue at some point in their college career. It is reasonable to expect even higher numbers now.

“As athletes, we are so accustomed to routine,” Heininger said. “A lot of student-athletes thrive on the regulation that comes with that routine. Everyone is dealing with the (current) uncertainty and we deal with that in different ways, whether you are a senior and unsure whether you are ever going to get to compete again or if you are a freshman and this is not the experience you anticipated coming in.”

Read the rest of the story on nwitimes.com.