Mitchell Pearce has provided an open and raw insight into the psyche of an NRL player.
In promoting the importance of looking after your mental health, nib sat down with Pearce to find out how he manages his mental wellbeing during the ups and downs of an NRL season.
“Firstly, I try and take a breath,” Pearce said.
“I’ve got a busy mind, so naturally I can sometimes tend to take on other people’s energy and overthink a bit. I try and look within first and then I normally speak to one or two close friends, people that I trust.
“Time on my own and try and get a bit of breathing space to see what’s going wrong.”
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In living and breathing the game, detaching yourself from the result can be one of the most challenging things for a player to do.
“It’s something I’ve always struggled with and something I still do struggle with,” Pearce said.
“As you get older, you try and disconnect foot as part of your whole self-worth.
“When I was younger, a loss would make you feel like a really bad person and a win would make you feel like you were Superman.”
With age, comes wisdom.
Pearce said he has realised what’s more important than wins and losses and that’s his loved ones.
“Life is going to go on a lot longer than footy,” he said.
“A bad game doesn’t mean you’re a bad footballer or a bad person.”
