Do you find yourself losing concentration at times during competition? Maybe you become distracted by a fan in the crowd, a mistake you previously made, or begin thinking about an assignment that is due later on in the week. It is common for our attention to shift to other things at times, but during an important match or game, we want to be able to bring our attention back to the competition! One way that you can train your brain to enhance your concentration and focus is through the practice of meditation.
When practicing meditation, follow these simple steps:
1. Find a quiet and comfortable environment to meditate in (e.g., empty locker room or quiet study room)
2. Select something to focus your mind on
a. This could be an object from your sport (e.g., tennis ball, lacrosse stick). In this case, have the object present for you to look at during meditation
b. This could also be a mantra or a short saying that you repeat to yourself (e.g., I am strong, I am confident, I am prepared)
3. For one minute, focus your thoughts on only what you have chosen in step 2
4. Anytime you notice your mind beginning to drift away from your object or mantra, bring your thoughts back
5. Repeat this about three times a day, if possible
If you notice that a minute is too long for you to concentrate, start with 30 or 15 second sessions. As you become better at meditation and maintaining your focus for the entire time, you can begin to increase the length to 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes and so on as needed.
The goal of meditation is to discipline your mind to concentrate at any given moment on one thing and one thing only. Eventually, with practice you will be able to help maintain your focus when you notice your mind begin to wander during performance. For example, you may use meditation to help focus your attention to shoot a penalty kick or to sink an important putt. You may also incorporate a quick meditation exercise into your pre-game routine to focus and narrow your attention. This way you will be able to focus on your execution and performance and play to the best of your ability!
Kristine Walker
Bowling Green State University
Hanton, S., Mellalieu, S., & Williams, J. M. (2015). Understanding and managing stress in sport. In J. M. Williams & V. Krane (Eds.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (7th ed.; pp. 207-239). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Without concentration on anything, nobody can achieve his desire goals. When I write my essay I just proper focus and then write it. I will must say it is our responsibility to make full focus and concentration on every work of our daily life.
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