Apart from new tips 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 prompted her to press pause on gymnastics in 2023.
Lee is again within the sport, although, 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 choice to bow out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her psychological well being. It’s a transfer that impressed Lee to be extra aware of her personal.
“[Biles] certainly one of my largest inspirations. She has been a very huge motive why I really feel extra comfy with speaking about issues as a result of she’s gone by way 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.
“I like journaling issues down and writing how I really feel as a result of I am a really shy individual, so I’ll by no means say issues out loud,” Lee says. “Even remedy was exhausting 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 capable of write down how I really feel or inform somebody how I really feel and know the place it stemmed from, slightly than simply going on the market and type of hoping I do nicely.”
“It’s type of like my thoughts battles itself. I’ve one aspect of my head telling myself I’m so wonderful, and the opposite aspect is saying ‘What in case you’re not ok?’” —Suni Lee, Olympic gymnast
It’s no shock being an all-around champion on a worldwide stage comes with some stressors. Even probably the most elite-level athletes, like Lee, expertise doubt and psychological blocks that try to shake their confidence.
“It’s type of like my thoughts battles itself. I’ve one aspect of my head telling myself I’m so wonderful, and the opposite aspect is saying ‘What in case you’re not ok?’ 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 final word self-care technique
Identical to when she’s competing, there’s a technique for Lee to have a top 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 certainly one of 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 loads. I’m at all times training, so it’s good after I can have a day away,” she says.
However Lee says she’s in a constructive, comfortable 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 comfortable,” she says. “I’ve needed to take care of a lot up 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 sooner or later 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 may as well watch on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, USA Community, CNBC, and E!
