MILLIONS of England fans have this morning woken up with bleary eyes after the team were defeated at Wembley last night.
The last year has been an emotional roller coaster and England making the final of the Euros had the whole nation routing for them.
If you’re feeling emotional today – there are things you can do to give yourself a boost[/caption]
We had pinned our hopes of happiness and jubilation on Gareth Southgate’s line up, but as the game went into extra time and then into penalties, it was clear it just wasn’t meant to be.
The defeat has left many people feeling emotional today and many were left in tears last night when Italy won on penalties.
Dr Marianne Trent, a clinical pschologist at Good Thinking Psychological Services, says: “When we watch team sport, our physiology mirrors the people we are watching and so our disappointment was actually the same disappointment as that of the England team.
“It’s hard to sustain the biology behind all the suspense and nail-biting moments over such a prolonged period of full time, extra time and penalties.”
A host of experts have now revealed the four things you can do today to help you and your mates cope with the fact that football nearly came home.
1. Be kind
Dr Marianne said that when things matter and they don’t work out, disappointment is an understandable reaction.
She explained: “We are always going to have a post-match slump and may feel a bit jittery as a result and disappointment makes it feel all the worse.
“Stay kind to yourself. Stay kind to the team. Remain united. Remain human.
“It’s okay to have big feelings, just keep them kind.”
Experts say we need to be kind to others as well as the players after England’s defeat. England manager Gareth Southgate and Bukayo Saka are pictured above[/caption]
2. Talk to your mates
Over the last few weeks all most people have chatted about is football, with the majority of people chanting “it’s coming home”.
But if the fact that it hasn’t come home has left you feeling down in the dumps, it’s likely your mates feel the same way.
Dr Shunghu Hilda M’Gadzha, psychologist at Inclusion Psychologist Limited said the result will weigh heavy across the nation.
She said: “It’s important to express our feelings of disappointment and loss, talk about how you are feeling and help others to do the same, especially children.”
3. Focus on the positives
While it might be hard right now to think of the positives, Dr Hilda said this could help boost your mood.
Thinking ahead to the World Cup and other sporting events could help quell those feelings.
Dr Hilda said: “We need to focus on what we achieved in getting so far.
“Send out positive messages and focus your attention on helping others, including the players, recover.
“Let’s focus our attention on them and helping them recover and this will also help us recover and move on until next time. We will regroup and have another opportunity to bring it home.”
Andy Chambers, founder at Born Human said we need to try and take positives away from every situation.
“We have the choice to acknowledge and build on our achievements and focus on the incredible feeling it is to overcome tough milestones in life.
“Our football team have set a great example of how great things can be achieved with the right attitude and commitment. ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ is too much of a delicate analogy but you get my point”, he said.
Focusing on the positives – like Harry Kane scoring a penalty could help you feel better[/caption]
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4. Get help
Helen Llewellyn, director at Infinity Wellbeing said you might feel overwhelmed by the result if there are other issues you are currently dealing with.
She said: “If you have feelings of depression that last more than a few hours after a disappointing result of a football match, you should talk to a therapist or counsellor.
“If you are employed, ask your manager for details of the employee wellbeing provider if you don’t already have them.”