Elsa Angel Rose
Alysa Liu is a gold medalist in the women’s figure skating category at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Liu’s gold-winning performance ended a 20-year Olympic individual medal drought for American women in figure skating. So why she is being spoken about is because at such a young age, she has inspired millions to do things in their own way, in their own time. At just 16 (in the year 2022), she announced her retirement from figure skating, stating that she had achieved her major goals for the sport, had extremely low motivation, and wanted to decide for herself how her life would be. From the age of five until she was sixteen, her entire world centred on the ice. She sacrificed time with family and friends, wore costumes chosen by others, and then took part in competitions. People were also appalled and were quick to lambast her halo hair colour and piercing, which are often considered unconventional for an Olympic participant. Alysa won the Olympic gold medal in figure skating on February 16, 2026, in Milan, Italy. “I hope that with all this attention, I can at least raise awareness about mental health and sports and mental health in general,” Liu said. “And I think my story is pretty cool, and so I hope that inspires some people as well.
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BURNOUT AND THE NEED TO RECHARGE
Alysa Liu’s story is encouraging for many young folks who feel stranded and lost amongst the dominating hustle culture. There is no harm in pursuing one’s dreams and passions, but when you have no soul or strength left to share with your family, or even with yourself, after a long day of work, it becomes unhealthy. “Burnout is when you are unable to continue with the task at hand with joy and a feeling of fulfilment. It’s when things look a lot harder and harsher than previous experience. Makes people irritable, anxious, tearful, withdrawn, mechanical, and overwhelmed,” said psychiatrist Dr Veena Kantak. There is a high chance people continue despite burnout, but this is because they are not aware, or they have a lack of resources and support. Knowing one’s priorities can be a lifesaver. There has to be an awareness that if you are under a lot of stress, it definitely comes at a cost, which can present itself as increased cortisol, impaired immunity, increased inflammation, and accelerated destruction of cells. “Stress can cause disturbance in sleep, appetite, metabolism and body rhythms,” said Dr Veena. She added, “We need to understand what price we are really ready to pay for the achievement. A positive attitude towards mental and physical health, balancing personal and professional life and achievements is the key.” Even if one has an extremely occupied life, different small steps can be taken to ensure mental and physical well-being. “Steps that can be taken despite the odds include dedicating 15 minutes a day to ‘me-time’, practicing mindfulness meditation, taking care of physical health through exercise, proper nutrition, sleep, and rest, taking half a day off occasionally, spending time with important people in your life such as your spouse, family, and friends, reigniting old hobbies or developing new ones, learning something new, and keeping an open mind,” explained Dr Veena.
A MUCH-NEEDED CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE
In an era where everyone is a content creator, artist or mentor by choice or by coercion, holding onto multiple titles, hustle culture is placed on a pedestal. It is high time to bring a shift in the perspective of society. Hustling but halting the hustle when required, or not choosing to hustle, has to be normalised. Dr Aida shared, “It is a well-researched and medically proven fact that overexertion leads to disaster. Our bodies need time to repair themselves for better performance. Taking a break revives the body and mind, strengthens us, and helps us return refreshed with greater energy and focus.”
IS SUFFERING NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS?
In Alysa’s scenario, she dedicated her entire life to figure skating, so much so that she missed being a normal teenager even once in her life. Accordingly, she made the decision to quit at 16 years of age. And certainly, she made an astonishing comeback by becoming the champion. In such a situation, it also makes one wonder, why does society glorify suffering to achieve success? Why is taking a break or resting for a while in the middle of a tight schedule of hard work viewed as laziness or as being undeserving of success? Does giving up eating, watching movies, or going out correlate with greater success? Not really! “It is human nature to glorify consistent hard work in any field. As without hard work there are no success stories, and therefore, as a form of motivation for such talent, it is publicly appreciated and applauded,” said Dr Aida Dourado, a sociologist from Nuvem, Salcete. When asked why society expects people who are gifted or innately talented at something to constantly toil, and why they are criticized if they choose to stop or take a break, Aida replied, “A person who is naturally gifted has every right to choose to live life at their own pace, but when a person lives in a society, choices are affected by external factors that she or he has to indirectly abide by. The dos and don’ts of society, their expectations, at times, overpower their own choices. Other than the external, there is this inner conflict that plays a major role in oneself, pressurising oneself to do well beyond the benchmark one has set for oneself.”
