114: Student-Athlete Mental Health Matters!

In this episode of the Female Athlete Nutrition podcast, I talk with college athlete and mental health advocate Arla Davis. Arla is a two sport NCAA student-athlete, competing for Ithaca College’s lacrosse and track and field teams. She holds multiple roles outside of her own athletics, including being a Campus Captain with The Hidden Opponent, and co-chair of Ithaca College's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), as well as being involved in research about women in sports. We introduce listeners to the amazing work of The Hidden Opponent, pioneering student-athlete mental health awareness. Arla shares her passion for addressing student-athlete mental health on her college campus, and we give listeners tips for self-care and prioritizing mental health even without a diagnosed condition. Arla and I discuss high school and collegiate athletics, the transition between the two, and opportunities to explore more than one sport. Arla highlights the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on both sports and mental health, and we talk about skills for balancing a busy life with wellbeing. We touch on the topic of intimate relationships in college and on mental health, both the good and bad, and Arla’s experience being in a long-term relationship. Linking all these discussion points is the importance of prioritizing mental health in college, a time of rapid change and novelty, and we direct listeners to available resources like The Hidden Opponent. Follow Arla on Instagram @arladavis_43 and me, your host Lindsey Cortes, @female.athlete.nutrition  Need help with your fueling? Want to get in touch with Lindsey? Interested in the Female Athlete System of Transformation?  Head to www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com to learn more & book a call! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Previnex: https://www.previnex.com/ use code RISEUP for 15% off at checkout InsideTracker: www.insidetracker.com/riseup for 20% off the entire store for a limited time only! THIS PODCAST IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY: Orgain, head to www.orgain.com and use the code RISEUP30 for 30% off your first order. Repeat customers can use the code OA2203 for 25% off future orders. In this episode we talk about: 3:00 What is The Hidden Opponent? The role of The Hidden Opponent Campus Captains. 5:45 Arla’s passion for supporting student-athlete mental health 11:00 The impact of Covid-19 on college spurts and student-athletes 14:15 Being a multi sport athlete in high school and college  19:00 Division III athletics  25:00 De-stigmatizing mental health and attending to it even without a clinical diagnosis  29:30 Self-care tips  34:00 Balancing a busy life and learning about yourself 39:15 Seasonal depression and coping with changing climates 45:20 Relationship challenges: break ups; long distance; teammates 51:20 The importance of mental health resources at college when everything is new 52:50 How to get involved with The Hidden Opponent 54:55 End of the podcast questions