Michael Phelps opened up about having the conversation around mental health with his children. The Olympic gold medalist shared that since his children are young, there are often big emotions around the house, and he, along with his wife, has initiated conversations about mental health to deal with emotions in a better way.The former swimmer shared that it is important to have conversations around mental health with children, as it takes away the taboo surrounding the topic and makes it easy for a person to open up about their feelings. Michael Phelps shared that he spoke to his kids about dealing with emotions in a better way and calming themselves down to take control of the situation.He shared that they have implemented a breathing technique at home called a 'lion breath,' where one takes a deep breath to take a step back and speak about their emotions in tense situations. Michael Phelps expressed that this small change has had a drastic impact on his kids, wherein they can talk about their emotions instead of building them up to a point of saturation."It's something we started talking about with our boys. Our boys, obviously, there are a lot of big emotions in the house. A lot of screaming, sometimes punches thrown, kicking, shoving, things, and objects that are thrown. You know, so at times they need to be able to take that deep breath, and we implemented this thing called the lion breath, they just roar as deep as they possibly can. Just scream, and at that point, they are able to take a step back and be like, 'Oh, Beckett did this, Boomer did this, Maverick did this,' and they can talk it through instead of compartmentalising it, letting it pile to the point that they explode," he said. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMichael Phelps opens up about dealing with mental health strugglesMichael Phelps speaks as Olympic Swimmers Testify Before House Panel On Anti-Doping Measures - Source: GettyMichael Phelps has been vocal about his struggles with mental health. The American swimmer spoke about his mental health journey in an interview with Talkspace and shared that there were times in his career when he couldn't be his authentic self and held on to his emotions.He shared that holding on to emotions makes it even harder, as it leads to compartmentalization of thoughts, and one holds on to the emotions, leading to symptoms of something bigger. Michael Phelps expressed that one must not run away from their emotions; instead, they should seek help from professionals."Throughout my career, I became very good at compartmentalizing. A lot of times, I wasn't my authentic self. It's hard to face the things you've learned to hide away - shame, trauma, the symptoms of something larger. But I've learned that the more you avoid, the tighter its hold on you," he said.Furthermore, the Olympic gold medalist expressed that seeking help doesn't make anyone seem weak; instead, it is one of the best decisions that can be made to overcome mental health struggles.