YORK, Pa. — In the past few months, several Olympic athletes have decided to prioritize their mental well-being over athletic competition: Naomi Osaka gave up her chance to win two Grand Slam events and Simone Biles withdrew from her Olympic events in just the last day.
Many news outlets are saying that these world-class athletes are "signaling a new era" in discussions of mental health.
Mental Toughness Expert, Eric Rittmeyer, joined FOX43 on July 28 to discuss Olympic athletes, mental health, and how the two intersect.
As Rittmeyer points out, when you think of how athletes prepare for the largest stage of their lives, you think about the physical component. Often, we forget about how being in the right state of mind affects performance. He says that Olympic athletes understand the importance of having their body and mind running at optimal levels during intense competition. Rittmeyer believes this is what separates the average from the world-class; the gold medal goes to the one that possesses the highest level of mental toughness.
Rittmeyer also shared some traits of mentally tough athletes, and people in general:
- Compartmentalization
- They don’t let their feelings get in the way
- Visualization
- Not bowing to criticism
- Remaining calm under pressure
- Possessing extreme confidence
- Accepting full responsibility
To hear more of what Eric Rittmeyer had to say, check out the clip above and tune in every Friday to FOX43 Morning News to catch his Mental Toughness Minute, a segment where he shares a mental health tip for the week.