These are tough times for everyone, including athletes. Consider these suggestions from Lindsay Shaw, Sport Psychophysiologist/Sport Psychologist with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. While the article was prepared for athletes training for the Tokyo Olympics, we think they apply to BSF winter athletes, too. These are ways to keep a routine and build a good foundation for functioning in uncertain times.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE. (She gives you the neuroscience behind these suggestions and why they're so important.)

The bullet points:

• Maintain a regular bedtime and wakeup time. Get lots of rest!
• Exercise, creatively.
• Eat nutritious food.
• Find ways to maintain social connections.
• Breathe!
• Do something goal-directed each day.
• Practice gratitude.
• Give yourself space for your emotions--and a wide range of them.
• Use this as a chance to confront uncertainty: practice the way you will confront challenges in life. Act like the person you want to become.
• Contemplate the non-permanence of things: COVID-19 will pass, so will your career as an athlete. But that doesn't change what you've already done, or what you'll do in the future.

And please, reach out to your coaches for support. They're here for you.

RESOURCES & ONLINE SUPPORT

National Alliance on Mental Illness Help Line: Monday-Friday 10 am to 6 pm (EST) 1-800-950-6264

Montana 211.org - community resources, crisis hotlines, and more.

Text 741741 in Bozeman for free, 24/7 support from a crisis counselor.

CLICK HERE for a full list of crisis hotlines in Bozeman