Thanks for coming back! I appreciate your viewing.
Gain An Advantage From These Tips
It’s the bottom of the ninth, the last 10 meters, forth and 1, 6 seconds left; whatever the sport situation is, performing at your best is crucial. So how do we make sure you are at your best even when the pressure is on? Why do some players of similar abilities have consistently different outcomes? For top-level/elite athletes they know that they need to practice and train for their mental skills, as well as their physical skills. This cohesion of physical and mental performance is sometimes referred to the “zone” or “flow”. Most athletes have felt this at some point during competition and/or training but they are then left trying to achieve a sensation. This “chase” of a feeling can be mentally exhausting. Being concerned about being in the zone pulls our attention away from what is important. The focus should be on all of the things we can control (your training, warm-up, nutrition, etc). Instead of trying to get yourself into a “zone” let’s look into what are the components of being in the “zone”. These components will help you become a better athlete regardless and may even aid in getting yourself back into the “zone”.
- Be creative! – The most obvious path to your goals is not always the best. Similar to mixing up how you train to help your muscles get stronger/faster, mixing up your path to your goals may speed up and/or put more focus on your goals.
- Positive self-talk – As athletes our natural inclination is to have negative thoughts about what we could do better. That’s why we compete but negative talk hurts our confidence and our performance. Start working on being more positive. Think about what you have done well, or all of the hard work you have put into training.
- Stay cool – By keeping your cool you can better deal with anxiety and minimize your chance for panic attacks. Deep breathing and muscle relaxation can help you stay calm.
- Focus – Stay in the present. Only pay attention to what benefits you in performance.
- Consistency – Have a routine and stick to it. Make every performance the same. It allows you to stay on task, be focused, and feel comfortable in any environment.
For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.
Often different athletes I work with bring up many of the following issues before a race or competition:
- Muscular tension
- Raised heart rate and blood pressure
- Shallow breathing
- Upset Stomach
- Longer than normal recovery times
All of these issues affect performance by causing the athlete to be fatigued earlier and lose strength and energy. So my first question to them is always “are you stressed?” and the answer is always mixed. Some say “yes”, some say “no”, and some are not sure. Regardless of their answer the reality is the athlete is facing some amount of stress. Controlled amounts of stress provides many benefits to the athlete. From the adrenaline boost that our body produces we gain short-term pain killing, increased focus, and a boost of energy. Although when we experience too much stress then the above symptoms occur.
Chronic high stress levels can also lead to many long-term issues such as a weakened immune system and hypertension. Both of these outcomes can be significantly problematic for high level athletes. For example, athletes who train regularly at a high intensity already may have a weakened immune system due to the physical strain they put on their body, with the addition of mental stress there is even more strain being put on one’s immune system. So what should you be doing?
- Schedule 20-45 minutes a day of relaxation time (watching TV doesn’t count, make it purposeful relaxation)
- Create a simple relaxation routine to use before competition and training/practice
- Try to physically and mentally relax after competition and training/practice
Adding in simple yet purposeful relaxation can make a big difference in how you feel and how you perform. Try it today!
More Information On Life Stressors In Sports
For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.
Are Your Nerves Affecting Your Performance?
1. Positive visualization – Take a few minutes on the night before or morning of a match to go through this process of positive visualization. If you know that you are vulnerable in a particular situation (e.g. hitting a wide forehand, or capitalizing on a big lead) make sure that you visualize yourself having success in this area.
2. Have a plan – Having a clear plan to focus on at the beginning of a match will go a long way towards relieving some of those pre-match nerves. That is not to say you won’t have to change this plan throughout the match but it will certainly help to give you a positive direction in the first few games. Remember- a bad plan is better than no plan at all!
3. Take a deep breath
4. I’m not nervous…I’m ready!
Try to perceive your nervousness as a sign that you are ready and ‘up for the competition!’ Being nervous is a good thing- it shows that you care about what you are doing and that your body is preparing itself for what might be ahead! If you can change the way you think about being nervous it can make a huge difference on the playing field.
For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.
