Mental Health and its importance on students
Generally, mental health means “full and harmonious functioning of the whole
personality”. Games and sports help to keep our body and mind fit by
maintaining physical, well as mental health. As malfunctioning of an organ of
the body creates physical illness so is the case with the mind.
When the mind does not function properly, it is called mental illness. In the
context of games and sports, the students develop competitive attitudes and
consequently they suffer from mental illness. Games and sports require not
only physical exercise but are also the causes of happiness of victory and
pains of failure.
Since sportsmen maintain physical fitness, they maintain physical fitness they
are required to be mentally fit as well. Physical health and mental health are
complementary to each other. Once a student wins in any sports competition, he
or she becomes more confident to do better in future events. With a view to
retaining this success and performance, they now spend more time for training
and practice and thus become more hard working. As a result of such victories,
the winner may develop negative attitudes such as overconfidence, proudness,
and a tendency to belittle others. Therefore, there may be both good and bad
results of a player’s competitive attitudes.
On the other hand, when a player experiences defeat in any competition, it
creates disappointment and he or she tries to accuse others of the defeat.
Many players may give up playing as a result of utter disappointment and
mental tiredness.
If a player cannot take the normal phenomenon of win and loss of any
competition easily, there appears inconsistency in their activities because of
mental stress. So, sports teachers or trainers should work together and try
hard to maintain the mental health or mental balance of players and students.
