Mental health is an important part of everyone’s life but getting help can seem untouchable sometimes. In recent news, Los Angeles Lakers' star NBA basketball player, LeBron James, has joined up with the Calm app to show athletes and the rest of the world that there is a way to find “the Calm for your storm” as the move to promote mental health awareness to the masses is underway.
Quick Summary:
- The Calm app can be freely accessed on iPhone and Android devices, though a paid subscription is available for an upgrade.
- LeBron James personally used this app prior to his partnership.
While many associate dieting and nutrition as the best way to regain health, stress can be an all-encompassing feeling that so many deal with on a daily basis, and thankfully in the modern-day world of wellness products and programs, there are so many ways to reduce this struggle nowadays. Even the most famous celebrities and athletes need to reduce the stress in their body and mind to stay healthy, which LeBron is bringing attention to in his new partnership with the Calm meditation app, according to reports from major news announcements as well as the advertisements featuring one of the best basketball players to ever lace them up.
As the saying goes, “there's an app for that”, this trending meditation app is completely free to download, though there is an available subscription for premium access to some of the features. It comes highly recommended by mental health experts and psychologists, offering anywhere from a three-minute to 25-minute guided meditation for users to reduce stress, improve sleep, and more.
For those in the basketball world and greater health world likely know James is known for having an impressive work ethic, especially when it comes to his physical performance within his stellar, ongoing NBA basketball career. As a personal user of the Calm app already, James credits the relaxation and meditation it offers has been essential to his mental fitness as well. By joining forces with the platform, James aims to “empower athletes once again, to give them an opportunity to be able to tap into something that sometimes athletes don’t know we have.”
He went on to say:
“As an athlete, there’s a lot of focus on physical fitness. This partnership with Calm is all about mental fitness. It’s something I’ve always prioritized, and it’s just as important to my game, my career, and my life than anything I can do physically,” […] “The ability to focus and calibrate everything going on inside your mind is a skill that can be strengthened over time, and Calm helps me do that. Through this partnership, I’m also excited to share that important tool with the youth in my Foundation and across the country.”
James, who has reportedly been known to sleep as much as 12 hours per night (much like tennis star Roger Federer), did launch a company called Sleep Stories in 2018. The creators behind the Calm app have already published multiple commercials with James to introduce their audience to this innovative app. The 30-second spot features a voiceover by James, drawing attention to the strength of athletes in the ‘Train Your Mind' series. As statutes of muscular men and women disintegrate into dust, he challenges, “What’s a strong body without a sound mind?”
A shorter 15-second teaser shows starts with a short but fast montage of James in action, with the voice of a sports commentator overlaying it. Within just a few seconds, the view switches to James holding his phone, playing a scene of rain falling on leaves as James breathes calmly. White letters fade into view, which say, “The Calm for your storm.”
The third spot, also 15 seconds long, shows an intense close-up of James, as white letters fade onto the screen, which says, “What’s keeping LeBron up at night?” James picks up his phone, which shows the Calm app instructing him to “take a deep breath.” Then, the white lettering on the screen appears again over James' face, eyes closed, answering the question with “Nothing.”
There are several other commercials featured on the Calm app’s YouTube channel right now, which can be found at here.
The Calm App is available on both iOS and Android devices, and anyone with a social media account has likely seen their advertisements for their Sleep Stories. Jerome Flynn of HBO’s Game of Thrones and Phoebe Smith of the Wander Woman podcast have both recently been featured. There is also one where you can follow along with celebrity actor Matthew McConaughey:
There is also an ESPN-hosted video of the 3x NBA champion Lebron James talking about his use of Calm app and why he believes rest, sleep and relaxation is so powerful for recovery and performance as a professional athlete.
During the nine minute video, Lebron talks about his struggles he went through in 2011 after his defeat in the NBA finals against the Dallas Mavericks (as a member of the Miami Heat with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh), and the levels of scrutiny he faced for losing, causing him to lose the love for the game and knew he needed to work on the mental side of the mind, not just the physical game itself.
The 4x regular season NBA MVP and 3x NBA finals MVP went on to say that his wife, Savanna, introduced him to the app over a year ago, has used it every day since then. He talks about the importance of REM sleep and how he has valued sleep over ice, cold tanks and massaging as the best recovery tool to use for your mind and body.
What to think of Lebron James and Calm app partnering to promote mental health via sleep and meditation? Are we on the forefront of the revolution for mental fitness and well-being? Stay tuned as the popularity of one of the greatest basketball players to ever lace them up in Lebron James will surely boost awareness and enhance the conversation regarding mental health.
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