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.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Andy Murray: Sport Psych at Wimbledon
Fan favorite Scot Andy Murray didn't make it to the semi finals at Wimbledon this year just on the strength of physical talent alone. Murray's work with a sport psychologist has dramatically improved both his performance and his notorious emotions. While Murray is still susceptible to mood swings during a match, he has improved from his past behavior. Says performance analyst Emma James: "You have to be very aware of what your conscious thought processes are going through. If you start to have a thought process about what not to do, it will have an adverse affect... By focusing on what you do want to happen, that's the way to make sure the body will follow through with it."
James is describing a phenomenon in which our bodies tend to replicate the thoughts in our mind, conscious or not. Where this can have adverse effects in athletics is the tendency to remind ourselves of what NOT to do. For example, the point guard at the line at the end of a close game may say to him or herself, "Don't miss this one now, we need to hold the lead."
We've all heard of the famous psychological experiment - the one where the researchers instructed their subjects to absolutely NOT think of a white bear, then asked them what the first thing that popped into their minds was. Of course, the participants could think of nothing other than white bears.
Sports performance involves the same techniques - if we are constantly telling ourselves what not to do during competition, we will likely produce poor performance and negative mindset. That point guard at the line would do better to fill their mind with an image of the ball making a perfect arc through the air and swishing through the net rather than tell themselves not to miss. Since our bodies tend to act according to the thoughts in our minds, always try to envision the positive - and never tell yourself what NOT to do.
Check out the rest of the Andy Murray article from the Scotsman here.
Fan favorite Scot Andy Murray didn't make it to the semi finals at Wimbledon this year just on the strength of physical talent alone. Murray's work with a sport psychologist has dramatically improved both his performance and his notorious emotions. While Murray is still susceptible to mood swings during a match, he has improved from his past behavior. Says performance analyst Emma James: "You have to be very aware of what your conscious thought processes are going through. If you start to have a thought process about what not to do, it will have an adverse affect... By focusing on what you do want to happen, that's the way to make sure the body will follow through with it."
James is describing a phenomenon in which our bodies tend to replicate the thoughts in our mind, conscious or not. Where this can have adverse effects in athletics is the tendency to remind ourselves of what NOT to do. For example, the point guard at the line at the end of a close game may say to him or herself, "Don't miss this one now, we need to hold the lead."
We've all heard of the famous psychological experiment - the one where the researchers instructed their subjects to absolutely NOT think of a white bear, then asked them what the first thing that popped into their minds was. Of course, the participants could think of nothing other than white bears.
Sports performance involves the same techniques - if we are constantly telling ourselves what not to do during competition, we will likely produce poor performance and negative mindset. That point guard at the line would do better to fill their mind with an image of the ball making a perfect arc through the air and swishing through the net rather than tell themselves not to miss. Since our bodies tend to act according to the thoughts in our minds, always try to envision the positive - and never tell yourself what NOT to do.
Check out the rest of the Andy Murray article from the Scotsman here.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tips for the weekend warrior
Sport psychology is often seen as something for professionals, Olympians, collegians, and high level youth athletes. And while this is true, improving the mental part of the game to enhance performance can be beneficial for athletes of all levels. For the weekend warrior, a better performance usually makes athletic participation more enjoyable and a better experience. That is an area where sport psychology can be beneficial to anyone.
For instance, I played soccer competitively through college. Looking back on my experience, I can say with confidence that working with a sport psychologist would have been a huge help. Now, as weekend warrior, I still play for the love of the game, to get exercise, and hang out with friends. But even though this isn’t something I train for, or practice, I still want to perform well. It’s even expected. But carrying the same expectations of my performance today that I did in college is not realistic.
I think this is true for most people. So for you weekend warriors, who don’t have time to practice, but love to play pick-up or league games for fun, here are three sport psych tips to help improve your performance, and maximize your enjoyment.
1 – Set small goals.
Don’t try to do it all. Don’t expect to play like Jordan or Tiger, or even your 18 year old self. Focus on one thing you do well or would like to do, and make that your success. Odds are that focusing on that one thing will clear your head and allow you to get into the flow of the game. When you get success early, confidence rises. When confidence rises, so does performance.
2 – Remember to Breathe!
Tired? Take slow, controlled, deep breaths to recover. Frustrated? Take a deep breath to relax. Unfocused? Take a deep breath to re-focus. Breathing is your link between your conscious mind and unconscious mind. Being conscious of your breathing allows you to be in control.
3 – Have a positive mantra.
Have a mantra that you repeat to yourself during competition. Something positive that sums up what you want the experience to be about. “Always run back on defense,” “I am getting a great workout,” and “Stay positive” are good examples of a positive mantra. Repeat this mentally throughout competition to not allow negative or distracting thoughts (“I am horrible!” “What am I doing out here?” “Is it over yet?”) to take over.
These three mental skills are not that different from what I would have a high level athlete do. Being relaxed and in the moment, and enjoying playing will almost always lead to better results than being tight, frustrated, and down on yourself. Weekend warriors – use your mental strength to enjoy your sport even more.
Sport psychology is often seen as something for professionals, Olympians, collegians, and high level youth athletes. And while this is true, improving the mental part of the game to enhance performance can be beneficial for athletes of all levels. For the weekend warrior, a better performance usually makes athletic participation more enjoyable and a better experience. That is an area where sport psychology can be beneficial to anyone.
For instance, I played soccer competitively through college. Looking back on my experience, I can say with confidence that working with a sport psychologist would have been a huge help. Now, as weekend warrior, I still play for the love of the game, to get exercise, and hang out with friends. But even though this isn’t something I train for, or practice, I still want to perform well. It’s even expected. But carrying the same expectations of my performance today that I did in college is not realistic.
I think this is true for most people. So for you weekend warriors, who don’t have time to practice, but love to play pick-up or league games for fun, here are three sport psych tips to help improve your performance, and maximize your enjoyment.
1 – Set small goals.
Don’t try to do it all. Don’t expect to play like Jordan or Tiger, or even your 18 year old self. Focus on one thing you do well or would like to do, and make that your success. Odds are that focusing on that one thing will clear your head and allow you to get into the flow of the game. When you get success early, confidence rises. When confidence rises, so does performance.
2 – Remember to Breathe!
Tired? Take slow, controlled, deep breaths to recover. Frustrated? Take a deep breath to relax. Unfocused? Take a deep breath to re-focus. Breathing is your link between your conscious mind and unconscious mind. Being conscious of your breathing allows you to be in control.
3 – Have a positive mantra.
Have a mantra that you repeat to yourself during competition. Something positive that sums up what you want the experience to be about. “Always run back on defense,” “I am getting a great workout,” and “Stay positive” are good examples of a positive mantra. Repeat this mentally throughout competition to not allow negative or distracting thoughts (“I am horrible!” “What am I doing out here?” “Is it over yet?”) to take over.
These three mental skills are not that different from what I would have a high level athlete do. Being relaxed and in the moment, and enjoying playing will almost always lead to better results than being tight, frustrated, and down on yourself. Weekend warriors – use your mental strength to enjoy your sport even more.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Papi's Struggles
When asked about his play during an 0-7 outing against the Angels in May, David Ortiz's answer was short and to the point. "Just put down 'Papi stinks". The Red Sox Sluggers' struggles at the plate have been well publicized this season, as he's hitting only .197 with 2 home runs - not the numbers Sox fans are normally used to from their DH. Sport psychologist Dana Sinclair offered an opinion on slumps among elite athletes: "Top-level guys know what they're doing. When you get down to it, they know how to hit, they just start to think about too many things and try to do too much and try too hard. It's a process of getting them from distracted thinking to normal performance characteristics."
Some theorize the problems for Ortiz are all mental, some think they are related to a wrist injury from last year, and some think he's just getting older. Common work with 'overthinking' athletes includes relaxation techniques, always trying to think positive, and narrowing the mental focus to one specific area.
Whatever the cause of his problems is, most experts agree on one thing regarding Ortiz - he is an excellent hitter at the core, and needs to find some way, any way, to get back to his natural form and technique without getting in his own way. Have you struggled with cold streaks or slumps in your athletic or coaching career? Comment on your experiences and ways of breaking the slump below.
Read the whole Ortiz article from Boston.com here.
When asked about his play during an 0-7 outing against the Angels in May, David Ortiz's answer was short and to the point. "Just put down 'Papi stinks". The Red Sox Sluggers' struggles at the plate have been well publicized this season, as he's hitting only .197 with 2 home runs - not the numbers Sox fans are normally used to from their DH. Sport psychologist Dana Sinclair offered an opinion on slumps among elite athletes: "Top-level guys know what they're doing. When you get down to it, they know how to hit, they just start to think about too many things and try to do too much and try too hard. It's a process of getting them from distracted thinking to normal performance characteristics."
Some theorize the problems for Ortiz are all mental, some think they are related to a wrist injury from last year, and some think he's just getting older. Common work with 'overthinking' athletes includes relaxation techniques, always trying to think positive, and narrowing the mental focus to one specific area.
Whatever the cause of his problems is, most experts agree on one thing regarding Ortiz - he is an excellent hitter at the core, and needs to find some way, any way, to get back to his natural form and technique without getting in his own way. Have you struggled with cold streaks or slumps in your athletic or coaching career? Comment on your experiences and ways of breaking the slump below.
Read the whole Ortiz article from Boston.com here.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
SPINW Now on Twitter
We've made it even easier for you to get access to the latest news, tips, research, and more from the world of sport psychology! Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/spinw for all the newest updates.
We've made it even easier for you to get access to the latest news, tips, research, and more from the world of sport psychology! Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/spinw for all the newest updates.
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