Basanth’s Story
1. What personal experiences with mental health do you have? Either with yourself, athletes in your area or friends.
In the past, I had always discounted mental health and treated it as an issue of low priority/relevance. However, all this changed when I joined my previous university back in the United States. It was a university that I had opted to enroll at solely because of its academic prestige and despite numerous warnings by others about its cut throat, overly competitive environment, I did not see it as much of an issue. However, upon joining, I was thrown in the deep end of a toxic, backstabby environment which failed to help me flourish socially. My academics soon started to falter and I did not make any new friends at all during the year. Most of that year consisted of me being holed up in my room, and there was even one time when I did not leave my room for 48 hours. Mental health is such an important thing in so many different ways as without it, it is akin to trying to drive a car without an engine inside. Without a sufficient degree of mental health, it will be very hard to carry out the most basic of daily activities whether at university or outside. Always ensure that you are looking after yourself and your friends.
2. How do you feel sport/fitness affects mental health?
Sport and physical fitness, in my opinion, is such an incredible way of boosting both your mental health and physical health! Whether it is a 3km run around Highgate carpark or a weightlifting session at my local gym, it is a fantastic way of relieving stress and conditioning your body. Before I started exercising regularly, I was frequently extremely sluggish and even walking a short distance would leave me knackered to the tee. However, I noticed that once I started exercising, I had a lot more energy in me during the day and I was also able to accomplish tasks more efficiently. Finally, exercise and sport are a great way of boosting your self esteem. You no longer feel as self conscious of how you look to others, and you feel a lot “lighter” and “fitter” overall!
3. What advice do you have for people in sport/fitness who struggle with mental health issues?
I would say to always be confident in yourself and to stop caring so much about what other people think. Of course, a little situational awareness is never a bad thing but if you focus too much on the thoughts of others, you fail to look after yourself and your own well being. Never doubt yourself and do what you enjoy most!
4. What advice do you wish you had been given before going through (or observing) the experiences you have?
I just wish I had been more cognizant of the importance of mental health from a younger age. I was born into an extremely academic-oriented family, and while I have been blessed with a lot of things many other students my age do not have, the pragmatism and goal-oriented approach we utilized to approach education often meant that mental health was stored in the back burner. It is only after my experience at my former university that I realized the importance of mental health and if I had learned about it at a younger age, it probably would have changed the way I approached things back then and would’ve also had an impact on the major decisions I made back in the past.
5. Do you have an extra message you wish you add?
In short, look after yourself, and know that you are great in your own unique way. Never let others make you think otherwise
