I don’t know about you but suddenly all of my friends are experts on skiing, figure skating and snowboarding – and it’s all thanks to the 2026 Winter Olympics completely captivating them all.

I mean, who can blame them?

The drama, the skill, the absolutely terrifying risks they take as athletes — these sports are not for the faint-hearted and for us, the audience, they make for an incredible viewing experience, even for those who don’t usually care about sports.

All of this got me thinking, though, how do they cope with performance anxiety?! I struggle to keep it together for a Zoom presentation to 12 people. Can you imagine knowing the world has its eyes on you and the country you represent is depending on you to win?

Writing about the mental health impacts of being an Olympian back in 2021, Dr David M. Lyreskog, of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, said: “In elite sports teams, the prevalence of depression and anxiety is sometimes as high as 45%, and in adolescent elite sports the prevalence of eating disorders is approximately 14%. The pursuit of performance – of excellence – does not appear to be a healthy one.”

Among the wider population, mixed anxiety and depression is Britain’s most common mental disorder, with 7.8% of people meeting the criteria for diagnosis, according to the Mental Health Foundation.

So, how do almost half of Olympians cope with anxiety when they’re supposed to be at the top of their game? And what can we learn from them?

Writing for the official Olympics website, four-time swimming Olympian-turned-sports psychologist Markus Rogan shared how he had been an anxious athlete and had learned four key lessons to get him through bouts of anxiety.

1. ‘Growing through anxiety’ and connecting with loved ones you trust

“It’s easy to surround yourself with people when you’re amazing, but maybe you can explore relationships with those who are there with you when you’re down,” he said.

2. Facing tough questions

When your brain is racing with ‘what if’ questions, ask yourself why you’re worried about this. Is the worry founded or are you just having anxious thoughts?

3. Asking people for their opinions

Sometimes, our anxiety simply comes from the unknown. Ask your loved ones to help. Ask them what you’re afraid to hear and trust them to protect you as they do so.

4. Not ignoring your thoughts

Sometimes bad thoughts are just bad thoughts, but once you label them, you can work on them. “Don’t forget that even the most profound thought is still just a thought,” he assured.

Speaking to Psychology Today, Dr Cindra Kamphoff, who has worked with professional and Olympic athletes for two decades, shared how she supports them following Olympic performances.

She said: “After the Olympics, we debrief. We evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and how to grow from the experience. Then we reset goals and begin preparing for the next competition.

“Confidence and mental performance are ongoing processes, not event-specific interventions.”

We all know that Wuthering Heights is not about a love that we should aspire to, right? We know that their bond was eventually very toxic, that they mistreated each other and everybody around them, and it ended anything but happily ever after.

All of that being said, watching Emerald Fennell’s take on the novel can definitely remind you of a certain ex. Not the one you had an amicable split with, not the ‘fun summer fling’. No. This ex is the one that you had the senselessly passionate relationship with. Everything was aflame and when it ended, you went no-contact. Probably because your friends begged you to.

It’s not romantic but it’s definitely alluring: the thrill of the chase, the passion between you, the way they took up residence in your head and squeezed into every thought… they’re pretty unforgettable, probably quite toxic, and seeing a highly stylised version on-screen with this blockbuster can easily reignite certain memories.

On paper it should be easy, but getting over this kind of ex is not simple, much like the bond itself – as divorce coach Carol Madden notes on Medium: toxic relationships take longer to heal from than healthier ones.

Speaking to Business Insider, relationship expert Jessica Alderson explained that these kind of relationships are a bit like an addiction, saying: “They are often characterised by extreme highs, during which relationships seem perfect and magical, followed by crashing lows, which are usually caused by a partner pulling away or acting out – this can make people feel alive.”

Once the relationship finally ends, your body can still crave this unpredictability. She added: “The emotional rollercoaster can make it harder to move on and accept that the relationship wasn’t meant to be.”

Clinical psychologist Dr Ruth Ann Harpur suggested that after a relationship breaks down, people will naturally try to seek answers about where it all went wrong – and while it’s a “crucial step” in the early moments of the breakup, it’s important not to keep going over every detail of the relationship and your ex’s behaviour.

If you get stuck ruminating, you become “tied to the past” and end up reliving the pain, she suggested. So, her advice is to: “Understand that ruminating on past abuses may feel safe but it keeps you from living fully in the present and building healthier relationships.”

She also urges people to focus on activities they really enjoy to keep busy and connect with themselves again, and to open themselves to new friendships and relationships.

Experts at Calm have a guide to getting over a relationship with advice that includes:

• Clearing out physical reminders of them.
• Allowing yourself to feel your feelings.
• Limiting or cutting contact with them, including on social media.
• Setting new goals.
• And seeking therapy.

It isn’t easy, but you can move on.

And speaking to HuffPost UK, relationship therapist and author at Passionerad, Sofie Roos, said there are “a few types of phrases that almost always do more harm than good in a relationship,” too.

“Many of these aren’t mainly about what you say, but about when you use them, and how they shut down a conversation or augment in a way that blames your partner and leaves them feeling that their version [of events] doesn’t matter,” she added.

Here, she shared five hurtful comments she thinks we should avoid using with our partner.

One of the Gottman Institute’s four horsemen of divorce is criticism, especially ad hominem critiques, which turn issues with your partner into comments about their person.

Phrases like “you always [do xyz]” can tie “one personal trait to [your partner’s] whole identity… with no nuance,” said Roos.

When comments like these are “thrown in your face, the reaction is often to go into defence mode, and the situation tends to escalate into a dirty fight.”

Dismissive, sarcastic, and diminishing statements, which suggest your partner is overreacting, are a no-go, said Roos.

They “signal that [your] partner’s feelings aren’t valid and not to be taken as equal to yours, which in the long run makes… their opinion and voice less valued.

“That’s no way to build a healthy, happy and respectful relationship.”

These “manipulative” terms are unfair, Roos told us.

“Using these makes you push your partner into a certain behaviour, and you make them earn your love, which is extremely unfair, harsh and manipulative.”

It also “makes them very tense and afraid of doing wrong, where they feel their love isn’t enough.”

Comparing your relationship to another couple’s, or even your own ex, should be avoided as much as possible.

It “makes your partner compete with others instead of making you a team against the world, which leads to feelings of not being good enough,” the therapist said.

These can be tricky, Roos said, because at first glance, they can have the veneer of consideration.

But often, she said, they’re “actually loaded with anger and bitterness, which leads to a very tense atmosphere between you”. They can force your partner to do the hard work of noticing, bringing up, and “managing” problems you don’t want the effort of addressing.

Instead of this, try to “clear the air by saying what you really think”, and assume responsibility in your relationship by taking a position rather than leaving all the work to your partner.

Overall, Roos said, “Phrases that make your partner feel shamed, diminished, less worthy or manipulated have no room in a healthy relationship. Instead, say what you have on your mind and how you’re feeling, but in a respectful, nuanced, constructive and solution-oriented way that’s not aggressive or confronting.

“That will lead to a more peaceful, stable and happy relationship where both feel needed, seen and equal.”