Mental health is a topic close to Ashlyn Harris’s heart, not just as a former professional athlete but as someone who has seen the impact of mental health struggles firsthand. During Hearst Magazines’ Mind Lab event to discuss mental health, the former professional soccer player and partner to Sophia Bush highlighted the significance of mental wellness in sports as well as her professional and personal life.
“At the highest level, the margin is so small. Everyone is gifted, but what separates you is your willingness to do things others aren’t willing to do,” Harris explained to Women’s Health Editor-In-Chief, Liz Plosser. “90% of what we do is mental. The rest is physical. We invest so much into our bodies and not enough into our mind. I wanted to switch that.”
Harris has had quite a ride when it comes to being a professional athlete. She’s been on a number of soccer teams in the past, but played the longest for Orlando Pride between 2016 and 2021. She went on to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019, and played one season for the NY/NJ Gotham FC in 2022. Shortly after she retired, she became the Executive Global Creative Advisor at Wasserman, a sports marketing and talent management company based in L.A.
Reflecting on her childhood, Harris shared how deeply mental health struggles can affect individuals without adequate insurance or financial support, recounting her mother’s own challenging experiences.
“It was a really hard childhood, not only for me and my brother but especially hard on my mother who was constantly seeking and searching for answers, but didn’t have access to help,” Harris says. “It has been a cause of mine since I was a very young kid to really talk about the hard conversations. It’s our job to talk about it and create change,”
The reality of public life, social media, and mental health
According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief, women are 2-3 times more likely than men to develop depression. What’s more, another study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that women in perimenopause are about 40 percent more likely to experience depression than premenopausal women. In today’s climate, with social media contributing to rising suicide rates, especially among vulnerable communities, Harris went on to stress the importance of addressing mental health openly.
“People think they know you inside and out. With social media, we tend to post the highlights of our life. It’s easy to create a front that life is so beautiful and so filtered through a lens that just isn’t reality,” she says. “I shut my comments off to protect my peace. We have to have boundaries. If I’m okay, I can be a great partner, a great parent, a great employee, and business partner, all these things. I hurt just like anyone else, and I think I got to a point where even though I’m opening my life to people, it’s giving them access to penetrate deep wounds, creating trauma.”
Her go-to mental health rituals
Reflecting on her athletic career, Harris went on to share the importance of mental health rituals. It took her a while to understand what she likes to call her IPC Zone, which stands for her ideal performance zone, she says. With the help of a sports psychologist from a young age, Harris developed routines to prepare for high-pressure situations.
“Every day, I checked in with her to figure out how I felt mentally, physically, and everything else in between,” Harris says. “By college, it became an art and a practice I did every day.”
Preparation was key for Harris. She goes on to say that failing is also a big part of the process. “If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail. You can’t just show up to a big meeting or event and not prepare for how your body wants to perform if you haven’t done the work,” she emphasizes. “I did things no one else was willing to do. That made me not only a better human but a better player, and that crosses over into any work environment.”
Working through personal challenges
Harris also opened up about the tools she uses to handle stress and anxiety. She went on to express how lucky she was to be in therapy and to have access to a sports psychologist, in addition to a great group of people surrounding her. She likens preparing for challenges to gearing up for a fire.
“I have to get my fire suit, my tools, my oxygen mask, my water hose. I’m equipped to handle the process. When life throws me a curveball, I’m ready for it.”
In September 2023, Harris had to navigate one of her most difficult seasons yet, when she filed for divorce from soccer player and former teammate, Ali Krieger, after nearly four years of marriage. Through that challenging time, Harris reflects on maintaining stability for her children. “I can only control what’s in my ‘controllables’. My storm doesn’t have to be theirs. It’s a big test to make. I have to feel it, own it, and walk through it, doing the best I can as a parent of two very young kids. I give myself grace. We’re not always going to get it right, but every day I commit to be better.”
Harris’s journey underscores the critical role of mental wellness in achieving and maintaining peak performance, advocating for a balanced approach to well-being that includes both physical and mental care. “I’ve had to learn the hard way. Now, when I feel my body’s response, I’m listening. I’m not ignoring, I’m not dissociating, I’m present. I’m listening to what my body needs and wants.”