“When I spoke up about my history of OCD and my eating disorder right before I made the [Olympic] team, I didn’t realize how much traction it would get,” she says. “So it’s been really cool getting to feel like I’ve had an impact on the conversation.”
At the same time, though, it also opened the door for probing and sometimes invasive questions. Some people and some media, Seidel says, have overstepped the line.
“It’s about being able to find my level of what I’m comfortable talking about, and sometimes saying no to a question I don’t feel comfortable with,” she says. “I am happy to be open and vocal about [my mental health] and I never want to obscure any parts of my story, but it doesn’t mean I want to constantly talk about it all the time.”
Timing, she learned, is key for an effective conversation in the mental health space. And right before a race is not the place for it—so that’s a boundary she now enforces.
“It can be hard if I’m getting ready for a huge race, and somebody wants to talk about the lowest point of my eating disorder treatment,” she says. “So there could be a little more appreciation for the fact that this is a broader conversation we need to have, but that doesn’t mean that we need to be having it constantly. We have to respect that there’s a time and a place to talk about it, but not necessarily right before large competitions.”
4. Seek out a mental health professional.
While it’s great to share with friends and on social media platforms, sometimes it’s best to consult with a professional—and to continue that relationship if you already have one.
“Therapy is really good for being able to take a step back and reflect on things that are bothering me,” Seidel says. “I think when you deal with OCD and anxiety, [they] are often a control mechanism to manage the stressors coming from outside forces in your life, so being able to take a step back and analyze the way those things are affecting you, to objectively look at it and say ‘how are these things affecting my behavior and my thought pattern?’ is super important.”
When you start to feel like you’re on an upward trajectory, that shouldn’t be permission to start canceling sessions, she believes. Like logging mileage in marathon training, the efficacy of therapy requires regular upkeep even when things seem to be going well.
5. Experiment with recovery options that work for you.
While recovery is vital, it’s not cookie-cutter. The same options that work for someone else might not be the best fit for you—and something that works for you in one circumstance or situation may not be what your body is looking for in another.
And when Seidel is training hard, it becomes even more important. While preparing for the New York City Marathon, Seidel ramped up her mileage from 100 to 130 miles per week. That usually looked like 90 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes in the afternoon. She supplemented these sessions with strength training to prevent injury and yoga to stay flexible.
During times like this, getting enough rest is key. In some cases, that can mean simply sleep, but in others, it can mean downtime.
“It’s a wonder what a simple 30-minute nap will do for the body and mind,” she says. “I love napping during training, as they really help me refresh.”
Seidel also regularly uses products from Beam—a Boston-based CBD company founded by former pro athletes Kevin Moran and Matt Lombardi—to help her recovery. Some of her favorites include the ‘focus’ capsules, ‘revive’ capsules, ‘the one’ hemp oil salve, and ‘the fixer,’ a hemp-infused balm for sore muscles.
Along with prioritizing sleep and muscle recovery, Seidel also makes sure to schedule time to keep her mind fresh, too. She sets aside time to read, listen to audiobooks and “rock out” to music to decompress.
“Meditation, mindfulness, and simple rest are super important to me,” Seidel says.
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