Virat Kohli emphasised on the importance of prioritising mental health in a recent interview with the Indian Express. The former India captain has faced criticism and media scrutiny while going through a lean patch in international cricket. After sitting out the Zimbabwe and West Indies tour, Kohli is hoping to stage a comeback in the upcoming 2022 Asia Cup. In his interview with the Indian Express, the 33-year-old cricketer opened up about how constant pressure can negatively affect mental health and offered tips to aspiring athletes on managing stress.
“For an athlete, the sport can bring the best out of you as a player but at the same time, the amount of pressure that you are constantly under, can affect your mental health negatively,” said Kohli.
He was asked if he had any advice for aspiring athletes on maintaining mental well-being amid “pressure, criticism, injuries and losses”. In response, Kohli said that athletes should keep in touch with their “inner self” while focusing on physical recovery.
“My tips to aspiring athletes would be that yes, physical fitness and focus on recovery is the key to being a good athlete, but at the same time, it is crucial to consistently keep in touch with your inner self,” Kohli said.
“I personally have experienced times when even in a room full of people who support and love me, I felt alone, and I am sure that this is a feeling that a lot of people can relate to,” he added. “So, take out time for yourself and reconnect with your core self. If you lose that connection, it wouldn’t take very long for other things to crumble around you.”
Virat Kohli had another tip on managing mental well-being – learn how to compartmentalise, he advised. Finding the right balance, he says, is the key to really enjoying your work.
“You need to learn how to compartmentalise your time so that there’s balance. It takes practice like anything else in life, but it’s something worth investing in, that’s the only way to feel a sense of sanity and enjoyment while doing your work,” he told Indian Express in an email.
After discussing physical fitness and the strict diet he follows, Kohli, a self-confessed foodie, also spoke about his favourite cheat meal.
“The dos and don’ts for me are quite simple — no processed sugar, no gluten. I also avoid dairy as much as possible,” said Kohli, adding: “I make sure to stick to what I need to do whether it’s my diet, fitness routines, making sure that I don’t miss some repetitions or a couple of sets in the gym, or that I don’t snack on things which are not good for me.”
Having said that, he confessed his love for chole bhature. “One thing that I absolutely love to indulge in would be chole bhature. But even when I indulge in my favourite Indian dishes, I make sure to still keep my diet in check. It is never really a cheat ‘day’ as much as it is a cheat ‘meal’ when it comes to my food habits,” said Kohli.
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