Misty Buck: A Safe Space for Courageous Conversations
MEET MISTY BUCK
Misty Buck, CPC, CSC, Reiki Master
Misty Buck is an athlete mental health & mindset coach; contributor & coach to the Hall of Fame Health (HOFH); and author of the "Athlete Mental Health Playbook." As a former youth athlete and someone who struggled with depression and anxiety, Misty has a passion for coaching athletes on how to move forward from challenges related to mental wellness and mindset. Even before the explosion of the mental health conversation in sports, Misty's goal has been to give athletes a safe space to have courageous conversations. In this space, athletes are free to acknowledge and share their feelings as well as develop the skills to help them move forward and become the complete best version of themselves.
As a coach, Misty supports athletes through a variety of issues including identity, isolation, imposter syndrome, emotional awareness, mindset, as well as purpose. While many big names have courageously come forward about their mental health struggles, there are many more athletes who are silently suffering. One of the reasons for this, she says, is many athletes still have to learn how to give themselves permission to be human.
“One of the first steps that I often take with clients is to help the individual acknowledge and share their feelings by giving themselves permission to be a human. I think athletes often feel like they have to be more like a robot and that’s just not realistic,” says Misty. “To help them through this, I show them how to create awareness and stillness so that they can move forward with purpose and clarity. In addition, I’ll coach them on how to use different tools for a variety of functions including stress management, uncovering mindset blocks, setting boundaries, reframing negative thoughts, purpose-driven action plans, and building emotional/mental resiliency.”
Guiding Athletes to Purpose
One topic that often comes up for athletes is purpose. Many athletes feel that their purpose–and their passion–is their sport, so when that’s over, they might feel like they have nothing left. The athlete then naturally looks for things to fill that void, which can be a highly stressful task emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
“There is a lot of struggle when it comes to athlete identity and the search for true purpose, especially in life after sports. One of the barriers is when the athlete takes on the label of ‘I am an athlete’ and that leads to confusion of who they are on the inside. In other words, they lose their true personal voice and path. This can lead to dangerous choices and consequences. For example, a former athlete once confided in me that he struggled with feeling like he had to live up to a brand identity instead of living in the authenticity of his true character. In chasing that quest to live up to his athlete brand identity, he got lost in the lust for money, women, etc.,” adds Misty.
Anyone who has experienced feeling lost in their purpose can probably relate to feeling directionless and even hopeless. Misty believes that the search for purpose begins with your mindset and faith.
“When you lose that inner compass, you easily get lost. So what happens is you might chase things, stay busy doing things, or fall into unhealthy habits, just to fill this void but you’re not really confronting the issue. You may also feel unsafe and then operate out of survival mode so not only are you not feeling great, but you’re also not making the best decisions because you’re not clear. The results can manifest into mental health problems and other issues,” she says.
In her work to help athletes align their purpose and their journey, Misty teaches her clients how to get comfortable with living in authenticity, even in the face of adversity.
“I think a lot of people idealize the word ‘purpose’ as if it’s supposed to be this one magical thing in your life. But to me, purpose isn’t just one thing. We are always growing, and as we do so, our paths and therefore our purposes organically evolve with us. We have many gifts and many ways to serve. The key is to get quiet enough to connect with yourself so you can gain an inner understanding of what’s right for you, and then you can do the work to let the path unfold. From there, you just have to keep getting quiet to hear that inner guidance so that you can take aligned action steps,” she says.
Hope for the Future
Misty tailors her coaching programs to the athlete experience. While mental health is for everyone, she believes that in order to best meet people where they are, as a coach, you first have to understand their environment and lifestyle. While this is different for each person, the elite athlete experience is unique in and of itself. For example, the pressure, spotlight, demands, lockerroom environment, and relationships are all factors that are ingrained in the individual’s way of experiencing life.
In this unique space, she hopes that every athlete will learn to honor themselves as an individual holistic human being.
“Being a competitor feeds the ego because the ego is the part of us that wants to beat the competition. So, athletes certainly need to hone in on that. However, there is also a way to be in the zone in a way that is fiercely competitive, but also very clear rather than forceful. It’s more like a peaceful warrior. My hope is that as athletes begin to honor that part of themselves, they’ll understand their needs so that they can be the complete best human possible in or out of the sport,” Misty says. “The more love and light we can bring into this world as individuals, the better we all will be collectively as a society.”
Misty also seeks to encourage athletes to get the help they need, whether they think they deserve it or not. One of the reasons Misty signed on to join the HOFH is because she wants to be the resource that she wishes she had when she was struggling with depression and anxiety. However, to do this, Misty knows that collaborating is key in making big changes. Together with the HOFH and other mental health advocates, she hopes to help break the stigma around getting help at the global level, but also on an individual level.
“Asking for help can be one of the hardest but most rewarding decisions of a person’s life. I think it’s important for the individual to understand that they deserve treatment so they can enjoy their life. I often find that people are scared and/or that they minimize their pain. Sometimes, things in life call for us to be the bravest we’ve ever been, and getting help is certainly one of those things. But, you can do it. We believe in you,” she adds. “The beautiful part of this is there are tons of resources available so whatever your needs are, together with the HOFH, we’re going to work to find you the help that’s best for you.”
Misty is a Certified Professional Life Coach (CPC), Certified Spiritual Life Coach (CSC), and a Reiki Master. She can be reached at PurposeSoulAthletics.com. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication (public relations) and English (creative writing) from Florida State University.
To learn more about Hall of Fame Health and providers, visit hofhealth.com, or call us at 866-404-HOFH.