A portrait of Toronto Raptors basketball player Pascal Siakam taken in Orlando, Florida, USA.
© Charlie Lindsay/Red Bull Content Pool
Basketball

Allow NBA star Pascal Siakam to help you discover the value of mental rest

Toronto Raptors basketball star Pascal Siakam joins the Mind Set Win podcast for an episode exploring how incorporating restful activities into our routine can help us all avoid mental overload.
By Thomas Peeters
4 min readPublished on
Finding time to rest and recharge both physically and mentally during a relentless 82-game regular NBA season isn't easy, but for our latest Mind Set Win guest Pascal Siakam it's an important factor to finding satisfaction both on and off the court.
The Cameroonian explains to hosts Cédric Dumont and York-Peter Klöppel how competing in one of the biggest leagues in the world can be "really taxing" on the mind as well as the body.
In this episode, the hosting duo aim to uncover what contributes to mental overload, the long-term effects it can have on our daily lives and discovering what steps we can take to avoid it.
Travelling city-to-city and playing game upon game, night after night, with millions watching around the world are just some of the daily mental and physical rigours Siakam experiences as a power forward for the Toronto Raptors.
It’s a "blessed" career the 29-year-old commits every aspect of his life to, but the all-encompassing 24-7 nature of it means Siakam has had to find ways to take his mind off the game to avoid mental burnout.
NBA star Pascal Siakam trains in Los Angeles during November of 2020.

From a seminary in Cameroon to the NBA, Pascal Siakam is a real rising star

© Charlie Lindsay/Red Bull Content Pool

Sometimes I want to go home and be able to talk about anything other than basketball
The two-time NBA All-Star says: "We're so consumed by the game every day. We eat and sleep basketball, so it's important to get away from it, relax, take your mind off the game and find the balance.
"There's times when I have some days off where I just don't do anything and have some time to myself."
NBA basketball player Pascal Siakam trains in Los Angeles during November of 2020.

Despite only starting at 17 Pascal Siakam is already an NBA champion

© Charlie Lindsay / Red Bull Content Pool

Episode takeaway

Dumont believes that while physical stress and fatigue are easy to spot, "mental fatigue in the brain is a different story". This is backed up by research which Klöppel reveals has shown that consistent mental overload and long periods of stress can lead to illness.
So, how can we reduce the amount we trigger our brain by constantly feeding it with information? Here's some steps we can all take:
  • Firstly, understand the signals your body can send if the brain is overloaded. Symptoms could be things like repeated headaches, not sleeping, waking up feeling unrested and stopping finding enjoyment in daily activities like walking outside.
  • Secondly, learn what activities require high-frequency Beta brainwaves that are strenuous on the brain and other activities that use lower-frequency Alpha brainwaves and help the brain rest, recover and recharge. You can find a few examples in the table below.
  • Lastly, remember that a mental break can last just a few seconds, or for many days. During a busy day, finding a little moment to switch off just for a short moment can be very important for our mental health.

Strenuous activities for the brain

Relaxing activities for the brain

Watching TV

Light exercise

Scrolling on phone

Meditation

Responding to emails

Talking with a friend

Listening to music

Cooking

Reading a book

Now in his eighth year as a professional, Siakam is using all his experience to make sure physically and mentally that he's in optimal shape to consistently perform on the floor every time he steps out.
"Lots of athletes don't have longevity," he says. "It's something I think about a lot. Without doing the right things to take care of yourself, it's impossible to play for long periods."
He's hoping to inspire the Raptors into the NBA playoffs once again and recreate one of the best moments of his life to date. Back in 2019, he was voted the Most Improved Player in the league as the Raptors clinched the NBA Championship for the first time in their history. It's a memory that will last a lifetime.
There’s no words to explain what being a part of the NBA Finals is like
Siakam said: "Being able to be on that stage was amazing and seeing the joy we brought not only to ourselves, but the whole country in Canada, was unbelievable."
Find out more – including simple exercises to do at home – in Mind Set Win.

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Pascal Siakam

An NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors, Cameroonian basketball player Pascal Siakam is truly a one-of-a-kind superstar.

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