Being an effective self-advocate for your mental well-being

A colleague once said to me, "You're going to get overwhelmed. So, speak up when it happens. Your team sees your value and wants to make sure you're doing well and not drowning."

A prominent example of speaking up came not too long ago with Naomi Osaka and her exit from the French Open to restore her mental wellness. Now, Simone Biles serves as another example, making headlines with her decision to withdraw from the team gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Olympics in the interest of her mental health.

It's not easy to speak up for yourself. It takes courage. Look at Simone, who had the whole world watching. She knew she wasn't feeling her best mentally, and she spoke up.

Prioritizing yourself can be a challenge. I'm going to let down my team. They'll think I'm slacking. I can push through it.

But oftentimes, "pushing through it" is the worst thing you can do for yourself. To give an analogy: By pushing through it, you're adding more weight onto your barbell when your knees were already buckling with 100 pounds loaded on the bar.

We should all be inspired to take a cue from Simone and Naomi — whether in sports, work, life, friendships, relationships, etc. — and be a better self-advocate.

How to start? Here are a few ways to advocate for your well-being:

• Speak up for what you need: Whether you need specific accommodations or some understanding, speak with those around you so they can have a window into your experience. Self-disclose are much as you feel comfortable.

• Speak up when you're overwhelmed: Most teammates, colleagues, friends or whoever want to see you succeed — and if they don't, that's a conversation for another time. But, the point is most reasonable people will help work through your woes. The hard part is they aren't always privy to your experience so you need to make them aware. If you're met with resistance or apathy, it's time to think about heading for the door.

• Take time for yourself. Whether it's taking a mental health day or knowing when you need time separate from your partner or friends, recharge. I often will use a PTO day on a random Friday or, let's be honest, a random Monday to just have a relaxing day and destress.

• Don't be afraid to say no: It can be so hard, but sometimes it's in your best interest to say, "Not right now."