The Surprising Mental Health Benefits of Watching Football: What You Need to Know
What Do Football, Fun, And Mental Health Have in Common?
“There’s only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.” Vince Lombardi
Do you anxiously await for the beginning of football season?
Does football mean connecting with family, friends, and gorging on your favorite food?
Does your Sunday look like church, food, and football?
Why do millions of people love football so much?
I had the awesome adventure of finally seeing "my" football team live in action. The experience was beyond amazing. Before you ask though, no, it wasn't because my team won the game. As a matter of fact, "my" team lost. But, the experience was priceless, not only because I root for the best team (of course), but because I got to be there and experience it live for the first time.
Has this ever happened to you? Something you wanted to come true so badly, it's been on your bucket list for who knows how long? And then . . . it happens. Your long anticipated dream or adventure actually comes to life. You are so excited you feel like your brain is about to explode. Just imagine it. Hold on to that image. That day was an epic day for me. Watching my colors on the ground. Being so close to the action, the athletes, and awesomeness of the adventure. I could jump up and down and scream with other crazy people just like me. I had found my tribe.
Well, maybe you are just as normal, or maybe crazy, as I am come Sundays during football season. I anxiously await the beginning of the football season when I can experience some football fun with family and friends, enjoying the game and some pizza and wings.
As millions of zealous football fans gather around to enjoy the game, they are not only being entertained, they are actually fulfilling the need for connection, feeling a sense of community, and strengthening their mental health. We need this now, more than ever, I feel. We have been living in a time of extreme division, anger, political unrest, and war. Our mental health is declining. We can't even agree to disagree on an issue, because violence erupts. Yet, football is something positive that unites us, that strengthens us, that we enjoy doing together.
God created us for community and we long to feel connection. We want to feel like we belong and football gives us a "football family." Football can also give us an outlet from all of the negativity, the hate, the anger, and division. It can give us a positive outlet from the worries of the day, if only for three hours of the day. Whether you are at the stadium cheering for your favorite team or at home on the coach or jumping up and down with enthusiasm, it's exhilarating to cheer for your favorite sports team, especially with your tribe and pizza hanging out of your mouth.
Research reveals several benefits of watching sports. When we watch sports it releases dopamine which activates our brain's reward and pleasure centers. It also decreases stress and anxiety, improving our mood and our mental health. Associate Professor Shintaro Sato from the Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Japan led a research that explored both subjective and objective measures of well-being. His research found a positive correlations between well-being and watching sports. Professor Sato explained that "by inducing structural changes in the brain’s reward system over time, it fosters long-term benefits for individuals." Sato also went on to say that watching popular sports, such as baseball or soccer, can be a remedy that can help improve our well-being. https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/80577
As you can see, engaging in watching sports is not only extremely pleasurable, it significantly enhances our overall health, by lowering stress and anxiety and improving our mood and happiness. Football brings people together. It gives us a sense of community and belonging, and it improves our mental healthy by activating our reward centers.
There were times in my younger years when watching sports with family and friends was just a social adventure. I enjoy socializing and of course eating good snacks. Eventually, something happened in my brain that said, "this is fun" and watching "the game" became more than a social and food event. I get pumped up, ready to rock, on the edge of my seat just counting down the days feeling, like I'm going to explode from anticipation. For me, win or lose, football is crazy fun!
Does watching your favorite sports team enhance your mood?
Does watching your team play allow you to escape the worries of the day for a few hours of entertainment?
How is watching football or your favorite sports team strengthening your social bonds?
“I think sometimes in life the biggest challenges end up being the best things that happen in your life.” Tom Brady
All athletes are disciplined in their training. 1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV
References:
The Joy of Sports: How Watching Sports Can Boost Well-Being
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