Weekend: Simone Biles Is Getting Back on the Mat — And It's a Reminder of Athletes' Mental Health

The Story

Simone Biles is getting back on the mat.

Flipping out.

Same. This week, the seven-time Olympic medalist will return to competition at the 2023 US Classic. It comes after the record-breaking gymnast took a two-year hiatus following the Tokyo Olympics — where, reminder, she sent shockwaves across the globe when she withdrew from nearly all of her events to “focus on her mental health.” While Biles wasn’t the first athlete to speak out about mental health issues (see: Michael Phelps, Naomi Osaka), the move “was a game changer” and catapulted conversations worldwide. Now, she returns to a different playing field.

How so?

Just a few months later, then-Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley voluntarily took the bench to focus on his “mental wellbeing” — becoming one of many NFL players to do so. Since then, snowboarder Chloe Kim, Olympic swimmers Kyle Chalmers and Caeleb Dressel, MLB players Daniel Bard and Austin Meadows, and many other athletes have gone public with their own struggles. So much so that some sports orgs have made plays to step up support: The National Women’s Soccer League now lets players take up to six months of paid mental health leave, thanks to its first-ever collective bargaining agreement. Last year, the NCAA’s Mental Health Advisory Group convened for the very first time. And the US women’s national team is currently using its World Cup platform to kick off a new mental health initiative that has young athletes in mind. Important, since 38% of female student athletes and 22% of male student athletes said they felt “mentally exhausted constantly,” according to the NCAA’s own survey. Not to mention that less than half of women surveyed felt their athletic department prioritized their mental health.

theSkimm

Two years after opening up about balancing more than just the beam, Biles is leaping back into competition. A reminder that while the sports world has seen some major wins in the mental health arena, there’s always more down the field.

💼 In your Slack...

Dealing with some vacation anxiety? You might take that up with your momager, err, manager at your next 1-on-1 — which hopefully is scheduled before 4 pm. But if that sounds like too much, well, work, you could be a good candidate for a lazy girl job. Oh and attending an Ivy apparently has a “statistically insignificant impact” on future earnings.

🔭 In space...

Missed the peak of the Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower? Count your lucky stars: On Tuesday, one of the largest full moons will come to a sky near you. And the Perseids are already underway. Plus, if you think the James Webb Space Telescope is out of this world, wait until you get a glimpse of the stellar new telescope NASA is building. It comes as the space agency is investing in projects that could allow humans to live off the (lunar) land.

🧘 In wellness...

Hitting your goals isn’t always easy, so consider this your friendly reminder to, ahem, set reminders. If that stresses you out, earthing may help you get grounded. (Apparently, the barefoot boys were a step ahead of us.) Same with listening to what the little birdies are saying.

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Here’s a look at the reads we’ve saved, texted, and emailed to our friends…

Parents Hire $4,000 Sorority Consultants to Help Daughters Dress and Impress During Rush…taking #BamaRush to a whole new level.

This Female Billionaire Thinks the Secret to Women’s Wealth Is Poker…how one woman is teaching others to put all their cards on the table.

Why We All Love to Hate Other Generations…the one trend everyone seems to agree on.

If You Still Feel Like a Teenager in Your 20s, You’re Not Alone…we might be adulting, but we’re still saying ‘when I grow up.’

Here are today’s recs to help you live a smarter life…

1. A doctor-recommended vibrator that hits allll the right spots.

This award-winning, bendable vibrator has 16 intensities and 12 preset app-controlled patterns. Plus it’s clinically proven to alleviate dryness. Oh, and Skimm’rs get 20% off. Good vibes (and orgasms) only.*

2. The best sales to shop this week.

Summer is really heating up sales-wise, and these deals are here to prove it.

3. Windmill AC just might be the smartest buy of the summer.

Replace your old AC with this one that’s noticeably quieter and circulates air more effectively. 

Here’s one tip for a better start to your week.

Struggling to finish your to-do list? Try pairing it with a dopamenu — aka, a list of fun activities that boost dopamine, which in turn, helps you to get through the not-so-fun things. As clinical social worker and therapist Melissa Gottlieb explained, dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with “the reward center of your brain,” so it can keep you feeling motivated.

Of course, when you’re in a rut, thinking of things that’ll inspire and energize you can feel like yet another task. In that case, dopamenus “take the challenge out of decision making. They’re a shorthand way to refer to [your motivators] quickly,” Gottlieb said. Now, to make your own menu, think of the one at your favorite restaurant. Meaning...

• Appetizers: Just like small dishes or starters, these should be “quick things that can help you refocus, like hugging your dog, going for a [short] walk, or grabbing a coffee,” Gottlieb said. 

• Entrées: Here, think bigger. Tap into a list of “activities that take a little longer, but may also give you more dopamine, energy, and motivation to work toward that longer term goal,” Gottlieb explained. That could be meeting a friend for lunch, doing something crafty, or reading a page-turner. 

• Sides: This is where you can really get creative. That’s because sides can be “built into an activity you’re already doing,” Gottlieb said. For example, only watching your guilty pleasure TV show at the gym. “That way, you’re [attaching] a reward with exercising,” she explained, which can help build a habit. Other food for thought? Listening to music while cleaning or calling a friend while folding laundry.

...Oh and if you’re worried about having too much fun (as in, you never make it back to your chores), Gottlieb had a suggestion: “Put on a timer. Say to yourself, ‘I’m going to go for a walk. It’s going to be 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, I’m coming home and doing this task.’”