CLEVELAND — Ever since he first made his own struggles public two years ago, Kevin Love has never been shy to speak out regarding the importance of mental health.
And the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that the United States is currently experiencing is no exception.
Taking to social media on Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers star forward shared a message of encouragement for those experiencing difficulties dealing with the current climate. In doing so, Love preached the importance of finding a "sense of community" during these times.
"I know we're going through some tough times right now and people are having to navigate stress, feelings of stress, anxiety, the unknown. And this is every day. Every day is presenting a new challenge and not knowing what the future is going to hold is tough," Love said. "When you see people fall on hardships or going through hardships, it's normal to feel this way. I think now more than ever, we have to practice compassion, we have to be kind. We have to be mindful of our words, our actions and really practice a sense of community. I think that's really the biggest thing.
"I think we've seen the NBA community step up. I think we've seen people step up across all of sports and beyond, honestly. It's great to see that. We really need more of that because people want to feel like they're a part of something bigger as well as on the winning side of history. If I know anything about us, it's that human beings are resilient. We will get through this. But in the meantime, we need to practice empathy, compassion and just know that our actions and our words speak volumes during this time because there's a lot of people that are going through it and have it worse than we do."
Last week, the NBA suspended its 2019-20 season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. In the time since, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood and four members of the Brooklyn Nets, including star forward Kevin Durant, have tested positive for the virus.
Dr. Luis Felipe Amunategui, a clinical psychologist at University Hospitals, says many people are apprehensive over not knowing how long their schedules could be impacted. However, he points out there are positives.
“I’ve seen a lot of kids outside playing in their backyards and climbing trees and things I have not seen in a long time,” he said. “Interesting how it’s bringing us all together and raising our consciousness that we’re all interconnected and we’re responsible for each other’s well-being.”
Experts say anxiety is normal right now, no matter who you are. Beth Johnson of ReSet Lounge Chagrin Falls offers some tools that may help: resetlounge.com/blog/notes-to-self.