How to Avoid Athletic Burnout

What Is Burnout?

Burnout can be described as the physical, emotional, or social withdraw of an athlete from something they used to find enjoyable. Most of time this presents itself due to an athlete's training habits. Athletes that experience burnout may feel emotionally and physically exhausted, less interest in their sport, or experience less trust in themselves or their coaches. Athletes may also feel a lower sense of accomplishment due to low self-esteem, heightened focus on failures, and increased feelings of depression. All of these symptoms can lead to a decrease in an athlete’s performance and more importantly the joy they get from their sport. Burnout can affect athletes of all skill levels and should be taken seriously by athletes and coaches alike.

Five Tips For Avoiding Burnout

1. Variety in Practice- Adding variety in practice can not only break up the monotony that is training, it can also help athletes become more well rounded competitors

2. Proper Recovery Time- Proper recovery time is key not only for physical exertion but also for mental strain. Adding rest days in between difficult training days or competitions can help athletes perform to the best of their abilities.

3. Coach and Athlete Expectation Alignment- Coaches are often times the people that athletes spend the most time around especially in their sport. When coach and athlete are not aligned on expectations it can lead to lower feelings of accomplishment and loss of motivation to achieve goals by the athlete. To be successful, coaches and athletes should check-in with each other about short term goals, long term goals, and how they are going to achieve those goals.

4. Support System- Support systems are not only important for the athlete during competitions but also during down time. Some athletes need to step away from their sport on off days, others like being pushed and challenged by their support system. Its all about communication and allowing athletes the space to express their needs so their support systems know the best way they can help them.

5. Remember the Reason You Compete- Often times when athletes begin feeling burnout, it is due to seeing their sport as a “job” or something they have to do and not something they get to do. It is important for athletes to remind themselves what they love and enjoy about their sport and why they continue to compete.

Conclusion

The reason why it is so important to be aware of the signs of burnout is because it can be a difficult thing to treat. It is not as simple as just taking a day or two off from training. There is no definitive timeline for athletes trying to recover from burnout. Some athletes may need a couple weeks while others may need months to feel able to compete again and some athletes have had burnout effectively end their careers. Sometimes the best thing athletes can do once they are feeling burnout is to step away from their sport entirely to allow themselves time to heal both physically and mentally. It can also help to remind yourself what you love about your sport and what is fun about your sport. Another thing that can help for some athletes is to play their sport in a noncompetitive environment to help recapture the joy they get from just playing their sport. For example, a competitive biker might take a ride around a local park. No timers, no competitors, just a bike ride for fun. In the end, listening to your body and mind is the best way to stay at the top of your game and avoid burnout.