Slump-Busting Tips

Slumps - we've all been there. Sometimes we know why, and sometimes we don't, but for some reason our performance, energy, and focus just aren't there for a certain period of time. Sometimes it's short, sometimes long, or sometimes in between (check out our article about David Ortiz's early season slump below).

However, most of us aren't a professional of Ortiz's caliber, so we need resources to break out of our own little slumps. Forbes.com has teamed with some sport psychologists to develop some quick tips for exercise and performance slump-busting anyone can use. Shawn Arent, a Rutgers professor of Exercise and Sport Science, had some takes on getting out of the funk, and much of it can relate to life stressors separate from sport. "The brain doesn't distinguish between physiological and psychological stresses. They all add up and can affect your endurance. On the one hand, exercise does reduce anxiety. But on the other hand, your performance may suffer based on your stress level."

Some basic tips for slump-busting and power performance:

Manage Stress. It's key to develop a strong work-life balance. The recreational athlete or Weekend Warrior worrying about Monday's board meeting is unlikely to reach his or her maximum performance at the gym after work. Leave work or other stressors in their place.

Don't Overthink. It's easy to pick up any number of sport-related magazines and get some tips for good performance there. But, once we get to the competition, this leaves our heads spinning with little fixes or improvements and inhibits power performance. Try your best to think positive (see preceding post) and save the quick-fixes for practice.

Forget the Past. It can be difficult to forget about past mistakes or losses in competition. The key here is acceptance - we're all human, we all make mistakes, and nobody is perfect in sports or life all the time. Realizing this can help us forget about the past and focus on a positive performance in the present.

Read more tips on slump-busting from Forbes here.

Let us know - what strategies have worked for you in the past? What is the experience of a slump like, and how did you break out of it? Leave comments for discussion below.