MZWAKHE MPOFU
Recently, the University of Pretoria has paid particular attention to mental health and how it can impact student and employee performance and wellbeing. Because of this, UP has made sure that various departments of the institution try to emulate this idea, or some would say “a movement”.
It is very important to also understand mental health within the context of sport. Despite the fact that sport is physically draining and sometimes requires tremendous commitment, it has a very positive impact on individual and collective wellbeing. When one thinks of sport, many themes may pop up, for example, competition, resilience, failure, hard work and many more.
Sport teaches people resilience in the face of adversity by knowing how to handle failure and still striving to do your best. The lessons learned through sport can also apply to the everyday lives of students and the UP community at large in assessing how we deal with our challenges and failures. People learn to do this by working towards a certain goal, celebrating an achievement or striving to do more.
Furthermore, research conducted by Healthline proves that sports has mental health benefits that may include mood improvement, increased concentration and a boost of confidence, which are some of the crucial aspects in the fight against mental problems within the UP community.
Illustration: Giovanna Janos
