Kohli reflects on his mental health; says he felt alone in a room full of people

Former India captain Virat Kohli said that the constant pressure and scrutiny can affect the mental health of a sportsperson negatively and has personally experienced it adding he had felt alone at times despite being in a room full of peopleKohli has been subject to constant scrutiny especially in the recent past wherein he has gone through a lean patch in international cricket He quit T20I as well as IPL captaincy to ease up the pressure The star batter was removed as ODI captain following which he also gave up Test captaincy in an unforeseen manner earlier this year following a series defeat in South AfricaVirat who is one of the fittest cricketers in world cricket despite being on the wrong side of the 30s has been vocal about the importance of mental health and breaks for cricketers He has also often shed light on how the pandemic has made life difficult for athletes as they have to constantly deal with restrictions and biobubble environmentsAfter taking a rest while India toured West Indies and Zimbabwe the 35yearold is all set to play in the upcoming 2022 Asia Cup which gets underway in the UAE on August 27For 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 It is definitely a serious issue and as much as we try to be strong at all times it can tear you apart Kohli told The Indian ExpressKohli also offered a tip to young athletes saying its important to keep in touch with ones inner self and allocate time to rest and recover from the pressures of the sportMy tips to aspiring athletes would be that yes physical fitness and focus on recovery are the key to being a good athlete but at the same time it is crucial to consistently keep in touch with your inner self the batter saidI 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 So take out time for yourself and reconnect with your core self If you lose that connection it wouldnt take very long for other things to crumble around youYou need to learn how to compartmentalise your time so that theres balance It takes practice like anything else in life but its something worth investing in thats the only way to feel a sense of sanity and enjoyment while doing your work he addedAlso Read Mohammed Siraj to play for Warwickshire in three county gamesThe former skipper also mentioned how spending time with his family and travelling has helped him unwind after hectic seasons in the professional sportThe one thing that truly helps me unwind after a hectic season is spending time with my family Apart from that I love to spend time pursuing my hobbies Travel is something that helps me destress a lot and of course coffee I believe that I am a coffee connoisseur and absolutely love trying out different flavours and coffee spots around the world Kohli saidDespite having a hectic schedule the Delhiborn cricketer never misses his workoutsMy fitness journey is an interesting one The first few months are the hardest because that is the time you really need to push yourself The only thing that keeps you going is your desire and how badly you want to make those changes in your lifestyle which is why I try my best to never miss my workouts he saidMy daily routine consists of simple things like staying hydrated consuming healthy foods that help detoxify my body and helping my body recover faster he addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever