What the Olympics can teach us about mental health

Who cares about poop in The Seine, naked Smurfs at the Last Supper or whether break dancing is an Olympic sport or not? The 2024 Paris Games were a joyous spectacle of international sport, providing us with arguably the coolest contestant in Olympic history, South Korean sharpshooter Kim Yeji and her ice-cold, bad-ass energy. 

There were many highlights, but one Olympian, in particular, garnered headlines and plaudits. Simone Biles, the US gymnast, won the women’s all-around gold. The pocket-rocket medal magnet (she’s only 4ft 8ins) defies gravity and physics. 

Simone’s period away from the limelight and the pressure cooker of international competition has done her no harm. Hers is a classic comeback story from which I think we can all learn.  

Read on to find out what we can all learn from Simone and others' mental strength, how she took time out to work on her wellbeing, and how those around her supported her brilliant comeback. 

Withdrawing for mental health reasons  

Biles’ Olympic triumphs are all the more notable because, in 2020, at the height of her career, when competing in the Tokyo Olympics, she made the shock announcement that she was withdrawing from the competition for mental health reasons. 

A statement on USA Gymnastics' X account read: "After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games to focus on her mental health." 

It transpired that she was struggling with a condition called "the twisties," which is an anxiety-related phenomenon common among gymnasts. A two-year hiatus followed. 

Another highlight of the Games was the medal-winning performance of GB swimmer Adam Peaty, who won a silver medal. His is also a comeback story of triumph over adversity.  

Previously, he stepped away from the sport and confessed that swimming had left him "broken". He’s spoken candidly about his mental health struggles, including depression and alcohol, describing it as having a "devil on his shoulder" that made him question his worth despite years of dedication.  

Do we over-criticise Millennials and Gen Z for their anxieties?   

Now, Simone and Adam are clearly enjoying themselves again, having returned to the top of their respective games with the self-assurance of people who know they are in control. They are also of a generation more aware of the importance of looking after mental health than any other. 

Millennials and Gen Z often face criticism from older generations for the seeming epidemic of anxiety that afflicts them. Older employers frequently bemoan their apparent weakness in the face of adversity and seeming reluctance to take risks. ‘Snowflake’ is a common refrain.

Perhaps, though, as Adam and Simone proved, this propensity to identify mental issues, step back, protect, take stock, and rebuild is a strength, not a weakness. 

Today, around 2.8m people of working-age people are out of work because of long-term health conditions. Most are older, but a significant proportion of these (more than 560,000, according to the ONS) are aged between 16 and 34. 

One of the biggest challenges for the new government, and the last, is how to get these people back to the workplace productively. Work is good for our mental health. The World Health Organization states that decent work can contribute to recovery and inclusion and improve confidence and social functioning. 

It’s an even more pressing challenge given Labour’s plans for national renewal, which focus on filling gaps with an up-skilled young domestic workforce.   

Healthy working environments are not only a fundamental right  

The onus falls on workplaces to introduce effective strategies to support people to get fit, healthy, motivated and back to work. On its website, the WHO states, 

‘Healthy working environments are not only a fundamental right but are also more likely to minimise tension and conflicts at work and improve employee retention, work performance and productivity. Conversely, a lack of effective structures and support at work, especially for those living with mental health conditions, can affect a person’s ability to enjoy their work and do their job well; it can undermine people’s attendance at work and even stop people getting a job in the first place.’  

However, it’s beneficial to educate everyone at work about their role in creating a healthy environment for all. This should include the individual's responsibility to look after their own wellbeing and mental health as well as look out for their co-workers.  

Perhaps we can learn some lessons from the world of sports here. Simone and Adam's examples show that strategies that include structure, gradual reintroduction, and continual support can work wonders. 

Each case should be individualised and planned, with input and agreement from all involved, including health care professionals, if relevant. The responsibility lies with everyone, not just the employer, which means that returning individuals should be encouraged and helped to prioritise self-care and self-management. 

Asking someone about their mental health can be difficult, but if we do it well, it can be helpful and crucial.

Compassion and flexibility are key, along with an understanding that work adjustments or modifications are likely to have to be made to facilitate a smooth and effective return to work.  

Those returning to work following an absence due to mental health should be helped to reestablish communications with colleagues if these have lapsed. It may also be a good idea to establish a peer support system, perhaps assigning a trusted and confidential confidante.  

A visit to the workplace ahead of a pre-agreed return to work date could also be a good idea. 

In many cases, a gradual phased return is often most effective. Simone’s road to recovery, for example, started with one casual visit to the gym at a time and worked back up to her full regime.  

For managers and leaders, the following steps may be effective: 

• Create a schedule for their first weeks back, and plan with them for what they'll do, when and where. This way, everyone knows what to expect. Arrange to catch up on any training missed. 
• Have regular catch-up chats. These shouldn’t be formal daunting meetings. Find out what they are finding helpful or difficult and have them in a relaxed environment - maybe away from work if appropriate. 
• Look into specialist support services on offer. Use occupational health or an employee assistance programme. Work in conjunction with your people department; if you don’t have one, look at working with external consultants or registered health professionals. 

Work is a positive attribute of mental wellbeing. Sadly, however, our solution to mental illness is currently to sign people off without a clear way back. Re-enforcing unhelpful beliefs about coping and anxieties around abilities. 

With the right structure and support in place, people can return stronger and often with greater resilience.   

If you need support to with supporting mental health in your organisation or workplace, get in touch with Doug - doug@laughology.co.uk - and he’ll discuss how we can help. Alternatively, take a look at our mental wellbeing workshop details for more information.

Laughology’s CEO, Stephanie Davies, is one of the UK’s leading voices in happiness and engagement in organisations. She has an unsurpassed reputation for designing and delivering interventions for top-performing teams across a range of sectors and has developed Laughology into the nation’s most talked-about training and development provider. She also has the smallest little fingers of any human being ever and can often be seen walking a cat on a lead in the Surrey village where she lives.