Take care of your mental health for the upcoming season

From data analysis to personal stories, Community articles section Fantasy Football Scout has some thought-provoking user-written pieces.

In the article below, the members of the ninth year Nigel the club We talk about mental health and the approach he’s taking to have a fun season.

In December 2022 I wrote Playing FPL with ASD/ADHDabout how challenging it is, and that I was trying a very specific (pretty weird) approach.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I utterly failed and effectively ruined a good start to the season by finishing as low as over 3 meters in water. It’s been a blessing because playing the game has taught me a lot about myself and what I need to do this season to manage the game from a nervous perspective.

First I would like to express how much I love this game. And I really think so. I recently lost my father to cancer, so it’s very welcome that you’re looking forward to this game, but the addictiveness of this game can also have a huge impact on your mental health if you put too much meaning into it. recognizing.

What I share here is nothing groundbreaking and probably consists of very well-used maxims and age-old strategies. I hope some of this content is helpful and makes a difference for anyone reading this.

Why do we sometimes obsess over things like FPL?

Often it is to give us the feeling that we are in control of our lives. When I was frustrated with my previous job, I created routines that seemed to focus on certain things in the house and organize and control things in a certain way. FPL gives us a sense of control because it not only controls our emotions, but it also works on the frontal lobe, the logic center of the brain that we use to plan, organize and reason. The more immersed you are in FPL, the more stimulated and controlled that part of your brain becomes. The greater the illusion of being in control, the greater the crashes when the game doesn’t go your way, re-entering the cycle of trying to regain control. As an autistic adult, I can tell you that this is not only mentally exhausting, but physically exhausting. It ruins the game for me sometimes.

What I’ve learned from last season of the FPL season, and indeed life that includes it, was thinking about things in my life now that I recognize are out of my control and I’m using the FPL as a crutch. . Some procrastinate, some are busy running around themselves, but some of us spend hours working on his FPL instead of dealing with problems.

You don’t have to do it this way. Here’s my personal ASD/ADHD FPL approach to the 23/24 season:

1. Treat one team like someone else’s team and the other team as a transfer city.

Yes, that’s another way of saying “having multiple teams”, but it’s not the only one. Having a team that can make their own decisions about spam forwarding gives them the freedom to make changes without feeling pressured. I know I’m really uncompetitive if I hit -28 three weeks in a row (I should know, I did that). So give yourself permission to create that right team that satisfies that need. You may find that the need to do so diminishes. In honor of my father, I’m going to run my own team and get down on my knees and transfer. My father was never a fan of frivolous transfers and last-minute changes. This may seem strange, but it’s about creating a set of enabling constraints, executable structures, and boundaries within which to operate. more What is this team responsible for? “

2. Avoid FPL content on Saturday mornings

It may seem extreme, but you should have scored at least 60 points in hits alone for responding to content on Saturday morning. It’s just not worth it. If you’re like me, my autism often manifests as a complete distrust of my own judgment. So, while watching the live stream on Saturday at 10:30 am might be fun, it leaves a second question in your mind. Sure, you’ll miss Pep’s random bench, but I still lost a mini-league to someone who only logs in once a week, on Thursdays. Avoiding content on Saturday mornings is just as important as managing game day overload and relieving the pressure of possibly making pointless decisions.

3. Hedging your bets

You just transferred Phil Foden to Kai Havertz, but in your heart you think it’s the right thing to do this game week. But, alas, it doesn’t work and he blames himself for his absurd behavior. You entered that transfer with too much hope, no alternative reward system, and for neurodivergents we crave dopamine. We need a win-win scenario. When I was his QPR season ticket holder, I used to bet on my team. It’s a small amount, so if QPR wins, hooray, you’ll get a huge dose of dopamine. But if QPR loses, hooray, it pays off. I am not advocating gambling. Instead, we are talking about limiting the impact of our decisions on our mental health. Let’s say Kai Havertz has had a bad time at a match, but you agree his wife eats curry and loves garlic chilli king prawns. From that point onwards, whenever he goes blank comes the Garlic Chili Cai Prawn Curry! It sounds silly, but sometimes silly things bring us the lightness we need.

4. Playoffs

My autistic brain can’t handle having too many choices. It even held a “Name World Cup” when deciding on a name for my second daughter. This also applies to FPL, for example, when you need to choose from a pool of players in one price range, or between two price ranges. There are eight players to choose from, but your head will melt once you start looking at endless stats. I love the stats on this website. It’s wonderful. However, it is difficult when there is no data at the beginning of the season. Instead, pair players up against each other and then narrow down to a single pick.It might look like this

Winner of Section A will face winner of Section B

Phil Foden vs Kai “Garlic Chili” Havertz

Section B winner will play Section A winner

Brian Mbeumo vs Pascal Grosz

And simply choose either who I like more or the data I have. If I hadn’t taken this approach, I’d probably end up shoving everyone in with a crowbar and having a terrible defense and up front, wondering why I couldn’t just use Pascal Grosz. . Because he was defending his penalty. This isn’t really a process, it’s about narrowing down your choices through a filter that works for you. As the season progresses, this player comparison section on his website will make this filtering his process even easier, synergizing nicely with the “player playoff” approach.

5. Match of the Day Challenge

When I really felt the pinch of addiction, I started using my phone coldly on Saturday. My family deserves my time and attention rather than me being glued to various audio commentary and live score apps. Towards the end of the season, I started leaving my phone at home and avoiding all football until MoTD. It’s not easy. It takes a lot of willpower, but I could have enjoyed football and his FPL more when I wasn’t spending the whole Saturday.

With these five approaches, you can not only have a better season, but actually enjoy it and be more present around your loved ones. You probably have your own suggestions, some that are probably much better than mine, and others that I’m sure will help. If so, please write in the comments section. Thank you for reading. Welcome to a new season of not only great football, but also mental health.