Keeping active and focused are key components to mental health!
Brad Guzan has an array of responsibilities that could make most people crack under the pressure. His day job is star goalie for Atlanta United FC. When he’s not in the game, the 40-yearold is home in Sandy Springs with his spouse, Breanne, and their four children, ages 4 to 10.
Keeping sane is high on his list of priorities.
“Mental health is absolutely important, especially with the pressures that come with playing professional sports,” Guzan says. “Then add into the daily life of athletes those pressures that normal people have, and it can add up. You have to find ways to deal with it.”
Guzan and an array of pro athletes from Atlanta’s teams recently participated in a public service announcement promoting mental health strategies. For Guzan, it all comes down to finding a balance.
“It’s not getting too high when things are going well, and not getting too down when they’re not,” he says. “For me, staying present in the moment during practice or a game is key. It’s important to understand your role and the responsibilities you have for what you’re about to partake in. You have to prepare mentally to play.”
That philosophy works off the pitch as well, he says. “At home, I can switch off the stress of professional sports, not take my work home with me and just be Dad. My mental health has benefited from that. I love spending time with the kids and going to all their activities. It allows me to be Dad, not professional goalkeeper Brad.”
Beth Brown, managing director of Mental Health and Well-Being at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, says the practice of being present is an excellent way to promote mental health for athletes, weekend warriors and spectators alike. “Being present means noticing where your mind is,” she says. “We’re often ruminating on something that has already happened or worrying about the future. When you’re really present, you clear your mind the way Brad does.”
Being present is aided by meditation, deep breathing and just being acutely aware of what’s going on in the moment, Brown says. Additionally, overall mental health is bolstered by being active.
“Moving your body is a natural antidepressant in some ways,” she says. “It can mean running for an hour, taking an exercise class or being part of a team. I can also be bite-sized: Going for a 10-minute walk several times a day also helps with sleep quality, confidence and self-esteem. Give yourself a goal to walk for 30 minutes, and when you fulfill that promise, it gives a greater sense of confidence and boosts the likelihood that you’ll do it again.”
For Guzan, working on his mental health doesn’t involve complex rituals. “You won’t see me meditating in the corner of the locker room,” he says. “For me, it’s all about calming my mind and breath, and concentrating on being present in the moment.”
Achieving that state of mind has taken years to develop, and he still hasn’t mastered it, Guzan says. “It’s never a finished product; I’m always trying to improve. But having that ability puts you in a better place, both mentally and physically.”
