Other than new methods and perfected strategies, she’s bought one thing new in her arsenal: a self-care routine that trains her thoughts simply as a lot as she trains her physique. The world champion is acquainted with battle simply as a lot as she is with success—she’s battled well being challenges like eczema flares and a kidney situation that induced her to press pause on gymnastics in 2023. Lee has been outspoken about her well being journey and is partnering with Eli Lilly and Company— the well being fairness sponsor of Workforce USA.
Now she’s again within the recreation, channeling her stress and setbacks into vitality that retains her able to compete. Right here’s how.
Making psychological well being a precedence
In 2021, Lee’s teammate and fellow competitor Simone Biles made the courageous determination to bow out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her psychological well being. It’s a transfer that impressed Lee to be extra conscious of her personal.
“[Biles] one among my largest inspirations. She has been a extremely huge motive why I really feel extra snug with speaking about issues as a result of she’s gone by means of the worst,” Lee says.
Lee says she had behavior of holding issues in and letting destructive ideas get the perfect of her, however now she turns to journaling to calm her nerves.
Associated Tales
“I really like journaling issues down and writing how I really feel as a result of I am a really shy particular person, so I’ll by no means say issues out loud,” Lee says. “Even remedy was onerous for me at first as a result of I at all times felt so shy about how I felt. Journaling and remedy has positively been one thing that’s modified the sport for me as a result of now I’m in a position to write down how I really feel or inform somebody how I really feel and know the place it stemmed from, relatively than simply going on the market and type of hoping I do effectively.”
“It’s type of like my thoughts battles itself. I’ve one facet of my head telling myself I’m so wonderful, and the opposite facet is saying ‘What in the event you’re not adequate?’” —Suni Lee, Olympic gymnast
It’s no shock being an all-around champion on a world stage comes with some stressors. Even probably the most elite-level athletes, like Lee, expertise doubt and psychological blocks that try and shake their confidence.
“It’s type of like my thoughts battles itself. I’ve one facet of my head telling myself I’m so wonderful, and the opposite facet is saying ‘What in the event you’re not adequate?’ It’s issues like that that I’ve needed to battle with, and that’s why journaling has helped a lot as a result of I’m solely telling myself good issues.”
The last word self-care technique
Similar to when she’s competing, there’s a method for Lee to have a quality journaling sesh. She’ll begin by writing down precisely how she’s feeling, be it anxious, unhappy, or nervous. Then she’ll recite constructive affirmations to remind herself what she’s able to.
“It should at all times finish in a ‘You bought this,’ ‘You’re wonderful,’ or ‘You’ve overcome a lot,’ and that this isn’t the tip of the world,” she says. “I simply deal with key phrases and telling myself these phrases of affirmation or remembering my ‘why.’ I inform myself all of the constructive issues as a result of I’m my largest critic on the finish of the day. “
The gold medalist takes care of herself different methods, too: by napping, consuming one among her favourite meals, and spending time together with her family and friends—a uncommon event lately as she prepares for her Olympic return.
“I don’t get to do this so much. I’m at all times training, so it’s good once I can have a day away,” she says.
However Lee says she’s in a constructive, glad mindset as she prepares to be a reigning Olympic champion.
“I’m feeling actually excited. I’ve been having to maintain my composure these days as a result of I really feel like I may simply scream proper now as a result of I’m so glad,” she says. “I’ve needed to cope with a lot prior to now two years and overcome so many issues, so to even be right here is an accomplishment in itself. We have simply been specializing in taking it in the future at a time. And that’s what I’m going to maintain specializing in as a result of that’s how I’ve gotten right here. One factor at a time. Someday at a time.”
You possibly can catch Suni Lee competing in Girls’s Gymnastics beginning July 28. NBCUniversal is the official U.S. broadcaster for the Paris 2024 Summer time Olympics, however you you can too watch on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, USA Network, CNBC, and E!
