On the outside, Philadelphia Eagles star right tackle Lane Johnson seems to have it all.
Drafted by the Eagles in 2013 as the fourth overall pick, Johnson became a Super Bowl champion in 2017. Two years later, the three-time Pro Bowler signed a four-year contract with the Eagles worth more than $72 million.
But internally, the 31-year-old says he was often "living in hell" — battling bouts of high anxiety since his high school playing days.>How Johnson first experienced his anxiety symptoms
It started, probably, during my senior year in high school. I went to a very small high school. I>Why he decided to 'put my pride aside' and get help
Ever since I started playing football, I'd get up in the morning and be so>Inside the daily tactics Johnson uses to help manage his mental health
The biggest step for me was talking to a sports psychologist to help me manage and compartmentalize my life and what's happening, making it a lot clearer.
I learned a lot about stress control — like they teach in the military, with breathing techniques like box breathing. I learned that having a perfectionist-type mentality (like I have) is not a bad thing. It's bad when it affects your life in other ways, but it can make you who are in your sport. I learned that fear is a natural thing, and [it's about] how we cope with and understand it.
My escape is exercise. Whatever energy I have, I just try to get it out for the day. I also try to maintain a schedule and stick to that schedule. Being busy and distracting your mind instead of being complacent or stagnant helps, too. [Eagles center Jason Kelce] and I play Sudoku and different brain games to try to challenge ourselves.
Try to put your focus>His advice to others who may be struggling
Really self-evaluate yourself. Be vulnerable. Whatever you want to accomplish in this world, the more you understand yourself and how you think and operate, the better your quality of life will be.
Being educated in the field of psychology — and removing the stigma around getting educated — is the biggest thing. There are people all over the world that suffer from [anxiety], and I'm just another person.
Especially in sports, you really have to figure out life outside your bubble. Good help is out there, and you will become a far better person at the end of it.
