THE importance and awareness of mental health had become deservingly more prevalent in recent years.

The current COVID-19 situation has now made it the number one focus.

For arguably the first time in history, the current elite sport environment requires mental health to be practiced more than physical training.

Athletes are spending most of their time at home instead of around their teammates and coaches. Learned routines are for now out the window, the all-important feeling of ‘team’ not as easy to feel on a daily basis.

This is where Carlton psychologist Tarah Kavanagh comes in.

Since joining the Club at the end of last season, Kavanagh has utilised her 10 years of experience - predominantly in the AFL industry - to oversee the mental health and wellbeing of the playing group.

Current circumstances have also seen her extend her expertise to assist the wellbeing of staff members as well.

Sports psychology is an interesting space in normal circumstances and with today’s world being far from normal, it has made the world of mental health an intriguing one to be involved in.

“It is very tricky, like most people I’ve had to adapt to online or over the phone,” Kavanagh said.

“There have been a few challenges with that, the first one is that a lot of communication is about ‘how’ people say it, rather than ‘what’ they say. Having to do things at a distance and not read body language has been quite tricky.

“Another thing that has been quite interesting is that engagement can be quite difficult. When we are face-to-face we get a lot of those ‘feel good’ chemicals rushing through our body and because we are not face-to-face, we are not getting that at the moment.”

Kavanagh has been working with Director of High Performance Andrew Russell, Senior Coach David Teague and Head of Football Brad Lloyd, as well as the leadership group, to ensure the players are remaining connected during this time.

Like the rest of society, AFL players are experiencing varying degrees of stress at the moment, be it occupational or personal.

Through constant and open communication, the Club has been able to maintain a strong feel for the mental state of the playing group.

“The group is doing really well,” she said.

“One of the biggest things that we are finding more broadly in the athlete population is that motivation is a little bit tougher at the moment because athletes are normally training to compete and there is no competition at the moment.

“That is why it is about getting them to zoom out and remember the big picture of why they are training day-to-day and with everything they are doing, do it with purpose.

“For the most part though, athletes are quite a healthy population and I think they have adapted pretty well.”

But Kavanagh admits for athletes who are used to being part of a team, this current situation is not easy.

“We are dealing with team athletes, and so a big part of their motivation is their teammates and being in a team environment. At the moment that is taken away,” she said.

“That is a big focus for us in managing their wellbeing and helping them stay motivated, it is organising activities where they can stay connected and engaged with purpose.

“I think they are doing quite well at that.”

A positive through all of this has been additional family time.

For players who move interstate or out of home from the day they are drafted, many would not have been able to enjoy the extended time with loved ones since.

This has been a positive the playing group has looked to make the most of.

“That has been a big focus, ‘how do we reframe this situation?’,” she said.

“Instead of looking at it as a negative, yes the season hasn’t gone to plan… but there are some positives from this situation.

“It is about looking at it as an opportunity. It is an opportunity to focus on things, develop things they don’t normally get time to do, an opportunity to connect back with family which they wouldn’t have done for a long time.

“That mindset and that lens they are looking through is really, really important in terms of their mood and their energy.”

Kavanagh also offered some advice for Carlton members and supporters who are in the same situation of isolation.

“It is really important at the moment to be checking in with yourself. Check in with how you’re going, how’s your mood, ‘what are your behaviours like?’,” she said.

“It can be quite easy at the moment to slip into bad habits and bad behaviours or unhealthy behaviours. That is where routine is really important, to keep engaging, to keep the energy going and to maintain those healthy behaviours will be really important.

“Exercise, getting good sleep and a good diet are really important. Maintaining social connection… we are physically distant but we need to stay emotionally and socially connected to other people, to reach out and keep talking to other people.”