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Friday's Health Report: Super Bowl can cause undue stress; know when its time to take a time out
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BATON ROUGE — Watching football is supposed to be fun, a healthy distraction from stressors in our lives. Until it isn't.
"Big games can be fun to watch, but also extremely stressful, and that's a pretty common occurrence,” Cleveland Clinic psychologist Adam Borland said.
Borland says the sense of connection some have to their team can provoke anxiety, especially when the game's not going their way. i=It can take a toll on a fan's mental health --
"We may lose focus in terms of what it is, and it's a game, right? And it's something that hopefully we can share with friends and family,” Borland said.
If the Super Bowl is stressing you out, Borland says you may need a temporary timeout because those feelings impact your mood and your relationships with others.
"Maybe go watch the game in a quieter room, maybe go outside and take a walk. That's ok. In fact, that's encouraged because then we can kind of be a better version of ourselves and actually enjoy the experience,” Borland said.
Practicing mindfulness, deep breathing and positive self-talk can also help. Borland says for some fans, a team's loss can feel overwhelming.
"That's why it's really important to maintain communication with one's support system, and to really process, you know, yes, this was just a game, but it's really triggering other negative feelings that I might be experiencing,” Borland said.
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