Building a Mental Health Menu with Female Footballers
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and while awareness is essential, so is action. Sometimes though, the first step towards improving your mental health can seem daunting or even unclear.
Mental health is not something you magically figure out and solve immediately, nor does "good" mental health look the same for everyone. We all have our own battles and our own preferred ways of coping. What's important is remembering that good mental health is cultivated and needs regular tending to throughout our lives just like our physical health.
When our friends over at Female Footballers mentioned a "mental health menu" as a tool for athletes to use in their programming, we thought it would be fun to team up to share the concept, an example, and a template for you to fill out yourself!
The idea of a mental menu is that you create a list of things you can do that you know bring you joy, peace, contentment, and improve your mental health. By writing them out in advance, you have the list ready to go, making it easier to take action even when you're feeling down.
Each section of the menu is meant to offer ideas at differing lengths of time, so that you always have a tool to utilize even when you're busy... because you do always have 5 minutes in your day for YOU!
Some tips for filling out your own mental health menu...
- Include items that encourage intentional movement
- Include items that get you outside
- Include items that get you away from the screen
- Include items that include friends and family
- Include items that aren't for you, but are for others!
Want More Ideas?
Check out some menus from our squad: Rachel ... and more to come!
Who is Female Footballers?
Female Footballers (501c3) supports young female-identifying players on the mental aspects of sports. An athlete’s success is built on whole player development. Focus on the mental game is crucial to an athlete's engagement, competitiveness, and overall success in and out of sports.
Learn more about their work here and give their podcast a listen!
