Basketball
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.
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.
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."
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:
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.
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.