Mindfulness in sport – how it can help you
Thursday, June 2017
Mindfulness in sport – how it can help you
Here’s how to stay focused when training or race day nerves start to take hold.
The buzz of ‘mindfulness’ is everywhere – our workplace, at home and even in our fitness and sporting pursuits.
In fact, the term mindfulness is one of the most searched for terms on Google. But does it really matter? How can you benefit from mindfulness in sport?
BATTLE OF THE MIND
When performing under pressure – whether from the expectation of others or from yourself, it can be difficult to focus on the task at hand.
If you have toed the start line of a fun run or triathlon race you will know the uncomfortable feelings that often comes with the hope and anticipation that you can deliver your best performance on race day.
The Performance & Sports Psychology Clinic (PSPC), explains your mind is a comfort seeking machine. However, this is a problem for sport performance because it’s not always possible to feel comfortable in competition or at training.
“Our mind gets caught in the struggle between moving discomfort and doing what’s necessary for performance,” PSPC explains.
MINDFULNESS IN SPORT CAN HELP
Mindfulness in sport is about removing the struggle between you and your uncomfortable thoughts and emotions – not removing these uncomfortable experiences from your life.
By staying mindful and thinking positive thoughts when it counts, you can overcome those feelings of self-doubt. Put simply, being mindful helps you to refocus on the task at hand and perform at your best when it matters.
“Mindfulness helps you break behaviour patterns, you can fundamentally change how you relate to your emotions, reduce stress and improve performance,” says PSPC.
What’s more, research shows mindfulness will not only help your sport and fitness performance, it can also reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and pain, according to a 2014 study published by JAMA Internal Medicine.
It explains mindfulness as a meditation technique aimed at focusing the mind on the present moment. You can do this by scanning your body, paying particularly attention to specific areas such as your feet, knees, core, shoulders, neck and arms one-by-one. You can also practice breathing exercises, which help develop greater awareness before and during sport.
Ultimately, mindfulness meditation is aimed at allowing the mind to pay attention to whatever thoughts enter it, such as the sound of others in the race or training session, without losing focus on yourself and the task.
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