In partnership with EVERFI’s Character Playbook, the Rams continued their digital Mental Health Series for ninth grade college students all through the Los Angeles area. Kicking off the second 12 months of the sequence, Rams guard Logan Bruss, operating again Kyren Williams, linebacker Brayden Thomas and Rams Cheerleaders joined two South Los Angeles faculties in individual for a mindfulness exercise and dialogue about psychological wellness. The dialogue additionally featured a Q&A session with Rams Sports Psychologist Dr. Carrie Hastings, which was moderated by Rams Director of Social Justice and Football Development Johnathan Franklin.
The program explores an array of subjects akin to self-awareness, relationship abilities, accountable choices making, psychological wellbeing, coping methods, in addition to in search of and providing assist for college kids. Dr. Carrie Hastings kicked off the Q&A specializing in the significance of retaining a optimistic mindset even when dealing with life challenges.
“A positive mindset is so important and often underestimated,” stated Dr. Hastings. When you may have two gamers with the identical means, whoever has the higher mindset goes to win. There are methods to keep up a optimistic mindset. First, you must determine the maladaptive methods that you’re pondering or patterns which can be getting in your method. The first step is figuring out them and disputing them and changing them with life like beliefs and attitudes. For instance, whenever you make a mistake in life, as an alternative of getting mad at your self, you must transfer ahead and never dwell on it. That will contribute to a optimistic mindset.”
Mental health plays a key role in everyone’s daily life and affects people’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how they think, feel, and act as well as handle stress, anxiety, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. During this discussion participants were able to learn how to identify symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety and how to tackle them.
“Symptoms of tension and despair are first felt inside the physique, “said Dr. Hastings. “There is a distinction between stress and anxiousness. Though they will overlap, stress is a response to a particular set off the place anxiousness is extra pervasive. Sometimes you’ll be able to really feel it in your chest or change into wanting breath and sweaty. Although folks say despair is simply feeling unhappy, despair is described as an absence of feeling or feeling numb which is greater than disappointment. There are many sources to assist akin to remedy to start your therapeutic course of. I discover one of the best useful resource to serving to is discovering something that may get these emotions out. That could be train, actions, journaling, or speaking with somebody.”
Many times, adolescents deal with hard times whether at home, with friends, at school or even extracurricular activities in schools which can often trigger their mental health. Dr. Hastings shared the best practices to cope with hardships.
“Two of one of the best methods to decompress is taking a psychological relaxation,” said Dr. Hasting. “Sometimes folks suppose they should spend each second perfecting their craft whether or not that is schoolwork or your sport so as to grasp it and that is not true. You have to take psychological breaks to be able to retailer what you may have discovered and keep recent and retain info. Mental relaxation can come within the type of sleep and shifting your thoughts to one thing completely totally different.”
After the Q&A, the students participated in a mindfulness activity led by the Rams players and cheerleaders. They examined different ways of obtaining a healthy lifestyle, staying positive during hardships, and how to help those around them that may be dealing with mental health issues. Towards the end of the session, students were able to ask the rookies how they were able to maintain a positive lifestyle while they were students and now being an NFL athlete.
“You have to present one hundred pc in no matter you’re doing,” said Brayden Thomas. It does not matter if you are at home or even playing sports. Whatever you are doing in the world, give it your all and it give it 100 percent. Do what you have to do to continue making yourself happy and the people around you happy.”
The Rams will host month-to-month digital periods for Los Angeles area center and highschool college students by way of March 2023. Each session will cowl a wide range of psychological wellness subjects designed to assist college students be taught in regards to the complexities of psychological well being problems, wholesome coping abilities and methods they will search assist. National Football League (NFL) accomplice, EVERFI is an interactive, digital studying answer that offers organizations the flexibility to ship well being and wellness training to communities – wherever they’re.
Last season, the Rams partnered with EVERFI’s Character Playbook to kick off the primary installment of a digital Mental Health Series for 575 college students within the Los Angeles area. The college students (grades 6-9) joined a number of 45-minute digital panel discussions that includes Rams gamers, cheerleaders, Rams Legends and Carrie Hastings. Students outlined psychological well being, differentiated between stress and anxiousness, recognized the signs and discovered tips on managing psychological well being in on a regular basis life. As a part of the league-wide initiative, the NFL sponsored 5 faculties and greater than 800 college students within the LA area to have entry to EVERFI’s psychological wellness curriculum. The league-sponsored faculties included Bell Senior High, El Camino Real Charter High School, Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High, Kern Union High School and Newbury Park High School.
To be taught extra in regards to the Rams’ group efforts, please go to www.therams.com/community.
