Benefits of a positive mindset
No matter what level they are competing at, all athletes will suffer from some element of self-doubt. From the novice athlete competing in their first event, right up to the hot favorite lining up at the start of the Olympic Final, everyone will question themselves. Doubts come in many forms, and it is common for an athlete to worry about issues that generally center on the following questions:
Have I done enough of the correct training?
Have I fully recovered from that nagging injury?
Will I be able to do myself justice when it matters most?
Am I good enough?
In many cases these feelings are not necessarily a bad thing as the fear of falling short often provides the motivation to go that extra mile to ensure that goals are achieved. However, the problem is that these fears can sometimes take over and the subsequent negative thoughts they generate can prove a barrier to success.
All of a sudden, an athlete can be gripped with fear of failure and that may be what prevents them from performing to their potential. Fortunately, it can work the other way and a positive mindset can be a distinct advantage when it comes to sport. In cases where competitors or teams are equal in terms of talent and physical condition, it is often the mental side of sport that makes the difference between success and failure.
Dealing with emotions is crucial
It is accepted that all athletes have to deal with anxieties, but it is the ability of certain individuals to cope with these feelings that allows them to reach their potential. Learning to deal with these emotions should be part of an athlete’s preparation and this point is highlighted in Why are Psychological Skills Important for Athletes? when it points out:
Moments of panic, anxiety and emotional ups and downs can interfere with the physical performance at every level. Athletes, who continue to perform with some degree of consistency despite of their feelings of anxiety, have learned to cope in one way or another. Relatively few of us, however, have been taught skills and strategies that would enable us to cope and maintain consistency in performance. Athletes have been helped with their physical skills and strategies, but few have attempted to help them with the development of the mental side of sport and sport performances
There are many articles that look at the issue of mindset but, not surprisingly, when you start to deal with the psychology of sport, there is no ‘one-fits-all’ answer and different individuals will need to adopt different approaches to find out what is right for them.
Dr Jim Taylor expands on this issue in 3 Essential Mindsets for Athletic Success. The three essential mindsets he refers to are:-
Aggressive Mindset
Some athletes who do not naturally have an aggressive personality need to adopt an aggressive mindset in order to raise the level of their performance. This means adopting a more proactive, assertive, and forceful approach to their performance – for example going for that risky shot in tennis / golf or setting a faster pace in a race. Raising your physical intensity in your pre-competitive routines, high energy self-talk (Let’s go , Bring it on) and mental imagery are useful tools to help develop a more aggressive mindset.
Calm Mindset
For those athletes who typically get nervous before competition, their best approach is to develop a calm mindset. The main objective is to help the athlete settle down and relax and free their mind of doubt and worry so that they can perform. A calm mindset is also good to develop if an athlete who is naturally aggressive. Deep breathing, muscle relaxation, mental imagery and self-talk are all methods used to help develop a calm mindset.
Clear Mindset
Naturally intuitive athletes who have years of experience often demonstrate a clear mindset – one that allows them to trust their bodies completely to perform their best without any interference from their minds.
Developing a positive mindset
The value of having a growth, or positive, mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset is instrumental in helping individuals realize their potential. This is a view shared by Kyle Williams in The 5 Key Mindset Qualities Of Successful Athletes who states simply that
Mindset Is Everything
and adds that
Mindset should be considered the intangible X-factor that can strongly determine your competitive success or failure
Different people have different personalities that affect their mindsets, but the good news is that according to Jack J Lesyk in The Nine Mental Skills of Successful Athletes, the specific mental skills that contribute to success in sports can all be learned and can be improved with instruction and practice. He refers to the Ohio Center for Sport Psychology which has identified the nine mental skills that can help achieve success, not just in sport, but in all walks of life. If you want to improve your chances of success with a positive mindset, here are the techniques you should adopt.
- Attitude: Develop a positive attitude and view sport as an opportunity to compete against yourself and learn from your successes and failures
- Motivation: Have the motivation to be able to persist through difficult tasks and difficult times to ensure the rewards and benefits are achieved
- Goals and Commitment: Set long-term and short-term goals that are realistic, measurable, and time oriented. Stay committed to these goals
- People Skills: Realize that you are part of a larger system that includes your family, friends, team-mates, coaches, and others and learn to communicate and listen. Develop effective skills for dealing with conflict and negativity
- Self-Talk: Maintain your self-confidence during difficult times with realistic, positive self-talk
- Mental Imagery: Prepare for competition by imagining yourself performing well and recovering from mistakes
- Dealing Effectively with Anxiety: Accept anxiety as part of sport and realize it can help but know how to reduce the negative effects
- Dealing Effectively with Emotions: Accept strong emotions such as excitement, anger, and disappointment as part of the sport experience and use them to improve rather than restrict performance.
- Concentration: Learn how to maintain focus and resist distractions, whether they come from the environment or from within yourself
Learning these techniques will help create a more positive mindset. An athlete that feels better about themselves and more confident in their outlook is more likely to enjoy their experience and achieve their goals.
What is Metrifit?
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To find out more about the Metrifit Ready to Perform product and gain insight on the physical and mental state of your athletes through our daily wellbeing questionnaire contact us at .
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References
Why are Psychological Skills Important for Athletes?
3 Essential Mindsets for Athletic Success by Dr Jim Taylor
The 5 Key Mindset
Qualities Of Successful Athletes
The Nine Mental Skills of Successful Athletes by Jack J. Lesyk, Ph.D.
Athletes Self Talk to Boost Performance