Maya DiRado, Natalie Coughlin Talk Mental Health with USOPC Sport Psychologist

With swimmers stuck at home without the ability to train, Maya DiRado and Natalie Coughlin sat down with Dr. Sean McCann to discuss the importance of mental health for athletes at this time. McCann is the senior sport psychologist for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. He has worked with the committee for the past 29 years and has travelled with Team USA to the past 13 Olympic Games. Since Rio, McCann has travelled extensively with the US National Swim team, learning the ins and outs of the mental requirements of the sport.

Dr. McCann provided great insight on both mindsets and behavior to help currently homebound athletes during this time:

1. Sleep Discipline – With the changes in an athletes routine, no early morning practice and the ability to stay up late, a sleep schedule becomes easy to forget about. Dr. McCann says that maintaining a healthy, regular sleep schedule can be vital in both helping to maintain a positive mood and in keeping one’s immune system healthy.
2. Physical Activity – A swimmer’s body is used to, and even addicted to, the physical demands of training for the sport. A significant decrease in physical activity can have a very negative impact on an athletes mood and stress levels. Something as simple as shoulder rehab can help to both strengthen your muscles and greatly improve your mood throughout the day.
3. Structure – Contrary to the idea that having more free time means one does not need to plan out their day, a structured plan can play an important role in helping to regulate stress while experiencing a new environment. Working structure into your daily life may be as simple as setting aside time each day for homework, workouts, and anything else you need to accomplish.

Coughlin and DiRado, having both experienced the necessity of making use of these habits throughout their careers and within their now post-swimming lives, provide insight and ideas on how to work on these within your day while at home. They also pose common questions to Dr. McCann, helping to further inform viewers on how to make these habits a part of their daily life. They also provide different viewpoints on how they are have been able to handle the stresses in their life. Coughlin, having taken extended breaks following the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, is no stranger to changes in routine. Meanwhile, DiRado, a recent graduate of Stanford University, speaks on the rigours of balancing multiple needs, such as school and swimming (or other physical activity), with your own mental health.

Dr. McCann also touches on handling the disappointments the cancellations caused by the need to stay at home and how athletes can handle these feelings in a healthy way One thing he highly recommends is taking time to focus on the person you are outside of the sport. This can include focusing on your friends, family, and other aspects of one’s life with the energy that you would normally put into swimming.

The full video can be watched below: