10-31-2021, 07:08 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-10-2021, 06:54 PM by allbetsonjames. Edited 1 time in total.)
Hey guys and gals and everything in between WildfireMicro here to talk about something serious: Mental health in sim leagues. I am diagnosed with Autism and also suffer from anxiety and rage issues. I understand how hard it can be when you have a mental health issue and are worrying about the various sims and dealing with the social aspect. Hell I still get nervous sometimes messaging people to talk about something league related because I worry that I am bothering them. Plus it is hard sometimes to not just want to let out my anger, even though I know that I shouldn't.
But you shouldn't take out your anger or anxiety on those who have nothing to do with it. Sometimes you just gotta take a moment to relax and think if the thing you are worrying about is worth getting so anxious about. I know that when you have anxiety that your brain just forces you to worry about stuff but taking a moment to yourself to just breathe and relax is definitely helped. You can talk to people about your anxiety of course, but just try not to blow up at people. Remember, a lot of people are there to help you get through your issues if you just let them.
Speaking of community, I know that speaking your mind to them is daunting if you are the kind to not talk much, but the community loves to talk and when you join a league they want to get to know you. Talking to them and asking questions is a huge way to not only get noticed, but for people to get to know you are available come draft time. Commenting your thoughts on media is also helpful. So, as hard as it is to talk to people sometimes, just give it a try and you will be surprised how welcoming the community is to everyone. It could also help you work on social skills.
Voice chat is another issue however, and even I struggle with it. I have a major lisp in my voice, and sometimes I can't help but feel like I am being talked over. But I try my best to speak my mind and even though spoken speech is probably one the skills I still haven't perfected, I do think that talking to a lot of the people here has helped me a bunch. I know that it can be hard to understand me sometimes, but I will try my best to talk dang it! I think doing this can also help you if you struggle with spoken communication.
One thing I do love about sim leagues right now is the creativity potential. I can actually write stories and have people react to them and not just immediately judge them and it had helped me just explore my creativity with the characters I create. For example, my PBE player Inker Belle is from a different universe and I have created an entire backstory involving a separate baseball league. If you are a secretly creative person who is scared of being judged, I think sim leagues are a great way to show it off.
I've have had a lot of ups and downs when it comes to these leagues, and I almost completely quit multiple times. But the addiction to these leagues and the people here have kept me coming back and earning and working towards the eventual goal of winning a title. I am currently determined to help bring the Buffalo Surge of the PBE from an expansion team to the World Series, and Net you are a great GM. Some people have all the sim luck, while some people just can't catch a break. But as my PBE minor league title shows, eventually you will get there.
The moments of amazing triumph can overwrite the feeling of devastating disappointment. Winning cures all they do say, but I think you should focus primarily on improving your locker room rather then just winning. Getting a good locker room full of people that are earning well will eventually lead to you winning. You just need a good atmosphere and it is up to you to make it good. Of course this is assuming you are joining a rebuilding team and not a team that is already built to win. Still, you are at least somewhat responsible for the atmosphere in a locker room.
Look I know a lot of this can be hard for someone who struggles with thier mental health and doesn't have good social skills, but I do believe you can do it. I know that for a lot of you that under that shell of quietness you built for yourself is an amazing person who can be a good addition to the league. So try to at least open up a bit and talk to people and explore your creativity! Just try your best to be a good user and the rewards will come to you I promise you. Here is a quote from Inker Belle to finish us off:
"My grandfather told me that sometimes, just sometimes, the most quiet person can be the loudest. That is because people don't expect them to speak thier minds"
I also posted this in PBE just so you know. Thank you for reading and I hope to see you all on the field!
But you shouldn't take out your anger or anxiety on those who have nothing to do with it. Sometimes you just gotta take a moment to relax and think if the thing you are worrying about is worth getting so anxious about. I know that when you have anxiety that your brain just forces you to worry about stuff but taking a moment to yourself to just breathe and relax is definitely helped. You can talk to people about your anxiety of course, but just try not to blow up at people. Remember, a lot of people are there to help you get through your issues if you just let them.
Speaking of community, I know that speaking your mind to them is daunting if you are the kind to not talk much, but the community loves to talk and when you join a league they want to get to know you. Talking to them and asking questions is a huge way to not only get noticed, but for people to get to know you are available come draft time. Commenting your thoughts on media is also helpful. So, as hard as it is to talk to people sometimes, just give it a try and you will be surprised how welcoming the community is to everyone. It could also help you work on social skills.
Voice chat is another issue however, and even I struggle with it. I have a major lisp in my voice, and sometimes I can't help but feel like I am being talked over. But I try my best to speak my mind and even though spoken speech is probably one the skills I still haven't perfected, I do think that talking to a lot of the people here has helped me a bunch. I know that it can be hard to understand me sometimes, but I will try my best to talk dang it! I think doing this can also help you if you struggle with spoken communication.
One thing I do love about sim leagues right now is the creativity potential. I can actually write stories and have people react to them and not just immediately judge them and it had helped me just explore my creativity with the characters I create. For example, my PBE player Inker Belle is from a different universe and I have created an entire backstory involving a separate baseball league. If you are a secretly creative person who is scared of being judged, I think sim leagues are a great way to show it off.
I've have had a lot of ups and downs when it comes to these leagues, and I almost completely quit multiple times. But the addiction to these leagues and the people here have kept me coming back and earning and working towards the eventual goal of winning a title. I am currently determined to help bring the Buffalo Surge of the PBE from an expansion team to the World Series, and Net you are a great GM. Some people have all the sim luck, while some people just can't catch a break. But as my PBE minor league title shows, eventually you will get there.
The moments of amazing triumph can overwrite the feeling of devastating disappointment. Winning cures all they do say, but I think you should focus primarily on improving your locker room rather then just winning. Getting a good locker room full of people that are earning well will eventually lead to you winning. You just need a good atmosphere and it is up to you to make it good. Of course this is assuming you are joining a rebuilding team and not a team that is already built to win. Still, you are at least somewhat responsible for the atmosphere in a locker room.
Look I know a lot of this can be hard for someone who struggles with thier mental health and doesn't have good social skills, but I do believe you can do it. I know that for a lot of you that under that shell of quietness you built for yourself is an amazing person who can be a good addition to the league. So try to at least open up a bit and talk to people and explore your creativity! Just try your best to be a good user and the rewards will come to you I promise you. Here is a quote from Inker Belle to finish us off:
"My grandfather told me that sometimes, just sometimes, the most quiet person can be the loudest. That is because people don't expect them to speak thier minds"
I also posted this in PBE just so you know. Thank you for reading and I hope to see you all on the field!
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