Social media and its relationship to an athlete's performance in confinement

Social media comes with its share of perils. It would be a grave error to turn a blind eye to the struggles of survival of those around us suffering from the many effects of COVID-19. But it is also vital to question the boundaries of how to stay afloat amidst this crisis, to not let updates from media bog one down. Needless to say, much like everyone else, athletes in confinement are exposed to this plethora of updates. And it has its repercussions, often beginning with “What if I get infected?”.

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Gradually, it would seem difficult to identify when all sense of semblancy is lost as negative emotions take over. The ability to keep up your spirits, restless sleep, desolation are all signs of depreciating mental health. The media is not directly responsible for your mental health. But at such a time of COVID-19 confinement, the effects of it when there is a fight to retain any sense of sanity are harmful, to say the least. This causes sleep deprivation and triggers issues around both mental and physical health. Factors like anxiety, mood disorder, lack of social interaction, financial stress, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders would do no better either.

Develop active distractions outside of home workouts. Reading, cooking, gardening, playing music, writing may all prove extremely helpful. For some, the need to function to a schedule as always would seem helpful while for some others, the very same idea would be taxing and frustrating.

Choose what suits you best. Do not value yourself based on your productivity. Be mindful of staying in a positive mindset. Try to avoid getting emotionally vulnerable. Practice gratitude and focusing on small happiness with/for your family and community may also help. Never has an athlete’s support network been more crucial. But more importantly, set specific times of the day to get updated with the news instead of choosing to follow regular updates by the minute. Above all, be extremely conscious of browsing social media late into the night so as to not affect your sleep cycle. Not only would it disturb your mental health, but it would also wreak havoc on your circadian rhythm.

Over the period of next week, we at ATIUM will help you with the dos and don’ts during the COVID-19 second lockdown. So that you do not lose shape, focus and your athletic ability to perform when things are back to normal.

You can read our other articles on how to cope with COVID-19 second lockdown here

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You can also get in touch with us directly for any guidance and support regarding the COVID-19 Wellness tracker on our ATIUM app @ hello@atiumsports.com