Using Mindfulness to Cope with Stress

What is Stress?
Stress is the body’s reaction to a change. When you feel stressed, your body changes something it is doing, for example, you may start to sweat. Stress can unravel in physical, mental, and emotional ways, and can be due to your surroundings, your thoughts, or your body. For example, someone stressed about making a crucial shot may find their thoughts racing, may notice their heart rate go up and might find their shoulders feel tight.

In some cases, stress can be beneficial (think of the nervous butterflies before competition that help you to feel focused), but at other times stress can be harmful or even debilitating (when school stress overflows into sport). Stress is normal and natural, but sometimes it can seem overwhelming -- especially in sports. In order to perform at your best, you need to be focused on what you need to be doing, which is difficult to do when you are stressed. One strategy for coping with stress is mindfulness.

What is Mindfulness and Why Will it Help?
Simply put, mindfulness is learning to pay attention on purpose. Mindfulness is another word for focus. Often stress can make it easy to forget on what you should be focusing. It can make you worry about past mistakes or future situations. Mindfulness is a way to bring your thoughts back to whatever you should be focused on. You may have a coach who often demands many things, which can be stressful. Using mindfulness techniques is one way to help you feel like the expected tasks are manageable.

In sport, it is incredibly important to be thinking in the present. Some athletes, such as those who practice tai-chi, incorporate mindfulness into their sport because it helps them to feel less stressed. By practicing mindfulness, you are moving your focus away from past or future concerns, and you are able to connect with the present moment. It is important in sports to be present because you can then be focused on what you need to do to preform well. It is nearly impossible to do your best when you are stressed because you cannot fully focus on the task at hand. Mindfulness can bring you from a stressed state to a state in which focus is more attainable in order to help you achieve your goals. A mindful state will help you to become a better athlete because it will make you more aware of yourself and what is going on around you. In sports, it is important to be able to think quickly and stay focused, and by practicing mindfulness you can set yourself up to be able to do those things better.

How do I Practice Mindfulness?
Below is one tool you can use to incorporate mindfulness into your life. In order to be more mindful during practice, try doing this before your practices. You should allow 3-5 minutes to complete this activity. By doing these things listed below, you are bringing your awareness to the present moment. . Because you cannot focus on more than one thing at a time, you will “forget” about the things that had previously been stressing you out. You are allowing yourself to notice your surroundings, which can help you focus on what is important in the moment

Five things right here right now:

1. Start by taking 3 deep breaths from your stomach.

2. Using your eyes, notice 5 things that are in your environment

3. Using your nose, try to identify as many smells as you can

4. With your ears, listen for 5 different sounds

5. Using your sense of touch, find 5 things that you may not normally notice (for example, your clothing, the feeling of chair, or air temperature)

For many people it is normal to have lots of different thoughts during exercises like this one, its okay! If you continue to practice being mindful of what is around you, it will get easier. It is good to start out by practicing this before every practice, but as you feel more comfortable, you can also use it the morning of a big game, in the locker room, or during a break in play.

Alyson Johnson
Bowling Green State University

Ideas adapted from:
Birrer, D., Röthlin, P., Morgan. G. (2012). Mindfulness to enhance athletic performance: Theoretical considerations and possible impact mechanisms. Mindfulness. 3(3), 335-246. doi: 10.1007/s12671-012-0109-2

Train your Brain to Concentrate!

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.

Competence and Trust

Competence and Trust

Do you know what is being asked of you and are you able to do it? Competence is a self-perceived measure of a person’s ability to understand the objective of a task and her/his ability to complete the given task. Intensity and competition in sports increase as athletes continuously test out their perceived competence with each other. When an athlete succeeds over the opponent, the belief in her/his level of competence increases. However, it is not uncommon for an athlete’s belief in her/his level of competence to decrease when she/he feels that he/shehas “failed” against their competition. So, what is needed for an athlete to continue to perform with enthusiasm even after the perceived “failure”? Trust!

Trust differs from belief because it offers reliability and stability, while belief offers hope on a spectrum that fluctuates from high to low. Trust provides the reliability to know that one will consistently produce results and it allows the freedom to continue on in spite of any disappointments. Trusting in one’s ability allows the athlete to understand that even in disappointing times, there is purpose and opportunity to get better. In other words, the disappointment can be perceived as an increase of knowledge and understanding that will lead the athlete to increase competence. It is a redirection to the path he/she needs to be on in order to accomplish her/his goals. Trusting offers a sense of reliabilityt and stability, while believing offers hope on a spectrum that has potential to be high or low. When you can trust yourself, you no longer have to second guess yourself, over- analyzing technique, take a long time to make a decision, hesitate when taking healthy risks, or dwelling on past mistakes. 

You have come this far in athletics and have been able to excel in athletics because you are competent in the following skills (name three skills related to your sport that you are good at).

1.

2.

3.

Exercises to help increase your ability to trust yourself and your skills

Becoming Comfortably Uncomfortable

Do a drill that you know you will succeed and as your success becomes consistent, progressively modify the drill so that it becomes more challenging. If you are able to do the more challenging versions of the drill without hesitation, you are trusting yourself and your abilities.
By Jeanette Pettigrew

Self-talk Affirmations

Come up with cue words or phrases that remind you of how good you are, whenever you feel uncomfortable about a task (work ethic, speed, strategy, power, problem solving, technique, etc….).

Controlling the Controllables

Sport is an unpredictable, constantly changing environment. You may find yourself on top one day, and at the bottom the next. It may be appealing for athletes to minimize those shifts in performance by trying to control everything about the game. However, it is impossible to control everything and doing so may cause increased anxiety and pull your focus away from the important elements of performance. For example, a softball player may focus on the bad calls of the umpire instead of her swing technique.

A common phrase used in sport psychology is “control the controllables.” Basically, as an athlete, it is important to focus on elements of the game you can control and not give attention to those you cannot control. Elements that are out of an athlete’s control include:

• Past and future events
• Weather (e.g., temperature, rain, snow) 
• Field conditions
• Opponents
• Officials
• Spectators

Elements that athletes have control over include:

• Amount of effort 
• Response to a situation
• Motivation
• Energy
• Focus

However, knowing what aspects require your focus and what aspects you can ignore can be lost in the heat of competition. During competition, athletes have a limited amount of psychological and emotional energy that they can spend. It is unproductive to waste that energy on things in the competitive environment that you are unable to control. For example, if you focus on the heckling of the fans, you will not have full focus on performing. Because sport requires physical and mental demands in competition, it is important to consider ahead of time what cues will require your focus and what cues you can ignore. Below is a worksheet to help you recognize aspects of your sport you can and cannot control.

Control the Controllables Worksheet

1. Imagine the circle below is the ball you use in your sport. If you do not use a ball, feel free to draw a diagram that matches your sport. 
2. Take a moment to think about the following:
• What parts of being an athlete do you have complete control over (e.g., effort, response)
• Consider what may occur during a competition that you cannot control (e.g., official’s calls, fans) 
3. Write down these aspects in your diagram. Items you can control go in the circle, and elements you cannot control go outside the circle.
4. Below are some tips to use the information you just learned in practice and competition
• Identify a “go to” controllable element in your sport such as a technique cue (e.g., strong start, stick to the game plan). Then repeat this cue to yourself often.
• Pick something in your sport that is in your control and that you can shift your focus to when you notice yourself thinking about something uncontrollable. For example, a softball pitcher may shift her focus to hitting her target at the plate instead of the call of the umpire. 
• Use a thought stoppage technique. Use of thought stoppage can be found here. 

Additional Readings:
Abrahams, D. (2014). Coaching the controllables. Danabrahams.com. Retrieved from http://danabrahams.com/blog/2014/coaching-the-controllables/

Bernadette Compton
Bowling Green State University

Want to gain an advantage in your sport? What’s stopping you!?

Sport psychology is the study of the interaction between the physical body and the psychology of the brain during performance. Learning various mental skills and techniques may offer a variety of advantages to assist you in improving your performance in sport. 

So why don’t athletes utilize these skills more often? The mind-body relationship is well understood in the sport world: Your mind can affect how you perform. Yet, many coaches, athletes, and administrators will not refer their athlete to sport psychologist. Why is this? Let me break down a few of the misconceptions about sport psychology.

Misconception #1: Help from a sport psychologist means that you are performing poorly.

Sport psychology has many useful tools that can be used to enhance performance. What people often overlook is that you do not need to be performing poorly to benefit from these tools. Many national teams and elite athletes use mental skills techniques, not just when they haven’t been performing up to par, but every day in training. The skills take some practice, but can be useful to anyone at any level.

Misconception #2: Mental skills training means that you are weak.

Stigma often accompanies the word “psychology.” Seeking out help from a sport psychologist does not mean that you are weak or incapable, it simply means that you want to get better. Who wouldn’t want an extra edge on their opponents?

Misconception #3: You have to be diagnosed with a psychological illness to benefit from a sport psychologist.

Sport psychologists do not necessarily work with athletes who have diagnosed mental disorders. They simply work with athletes who want to strengthen the mental aspect of their game. For example, a sport psychologist might help an athlete manage pre-performance anxiety, which is quite common. However, there are many techniques that sport psychologists can use to aid performance. These include goal setting, relaxation, and positive thinking.

Misconception #4: The relationship you have with your sport psychologist.

Many people do not fully understand the relationship that a sport psychologist has with his/her athletes. The sport psychologist uses various techniques and interactions to benefit the athlete. You can think of a sport psychologist as another member on the coaching staff. He/she may attend practices and competitions to observe athletes in action. Instead of guidance for proper technique they are coaching the way thoughts can influence an athlete’s performance.

Overall, there are many different benefits that can come from learning mental skills from a sport psychologist. Not only are these skills extremely useful on the playing field, but they can also be beneficial in other aspects of your life as well.

Kristine Walker

Bowling Green State University

Ideas adapted from:

Gee, C. J. (2010). How does sport psychology actually improve athletic performance? A framework to facilitate athletes’ and coaches’ understanding. Behavior Modification, 34, 386-402.

Sharp, L., & Hodge, K. (2014). Sport psychology consulting effectiveness: The athlete’s perspective. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12, 91-105.

Welcome BGSU athletes!

If you are a Bowling Green State University athlete and would like some tips on mental skills to help improve your performance, this blog is for you! Mental strategies include but aren’t limited to assistance with confidence, focus, injury rehabilitation, anxiety, and imagery. The following blog posts are designed to assist you in achieving your athletic goals.

For more information or to set up a team or individual meeting with one of BG’s sport psychology graduate students, please reach out to Dr. Vikki Krane (vkrane@bgsu.edu). Go Falcons!

Remaining Positive during Injury Rehabilitation

Remaining Positive during Injury Rehabilitation

Are you recovering from an injury, and perhaps you feel like you are stuck in a rut? Maybe you are just feeling down, or having trouble staying positive about your abilities. When you are healthy, it is easy to feel confident because you can practice and demonstrate your skills almost every day, but when you are sidelined with an injury, you might begin feeling self-doubt.

Athletes who are in the process of recovering from an injury will sometimes begin to lose confidence in their abilities – this is fairly common. It can, however, be a valuable experience to simply take some time to reflect on all the hard work that has gotten you this far in your sport – surely it wasn’t pure luck!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Reflection

-During your recovery from injury, if you start to feel your confidence slipping (or even if you don’t), simply take some to relax, and brainstorm. Think long and hard about what makes you good at what you do? Ask yourself: “what have I done in the past to deserve good outcomes?” or “what qualities do I possess that make me successful at my sport.” Creating a list, either in your head or on paper, can help focus your thoughts on what you are good at and can bring out confidence in you that will keep you motivated and positive throughout rehab.  This is NOT the time to be humble! This is a time to give credit where credit is due.

-Next, brainstorm your many achievements in sport. Surely you have some accomplishments that you are proud of, or can reflect on positively. These can be non-outcome based (e.g., had a stellar performance despite not winning), and remember that giving your best effort should be considered an achievement. If you can remember a time where you won a big competition, or scored a game winning goal, then these are good examples, but keep in mind that there are many others way to be ‘accomplished.’ You are a good athlete, but while injured it’s easy to forget that. Remembering past accomplishments can empower you, and can bring back your confidence, which can ultimately help you work through the trials and tribulations of rehabilitation.

Preparing for the Future

When the negative thoughts begin to creep in, it doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. In fact, negative thoughts are very common when rehabbing an injury. However, you can combat negative thoughts by being prepared with an arsenal of confident thoughts that are ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.  Plan positive things to tell yourself. This will allow you to be ready to respond to internal negativity with a number of confident thoughts, and will ultimately get you to begin thinking more confidently all the time. Respond to every situation with confidence!  

Activity

            Directions: Draw a confidence wheel like the one you see below. Leave enough room in each bubble for you to write a complete thought. Fill in each bubble with a meaningful confident thought that will keep you positive and upbeat. This can be closely related to something from your previous reflection up above. You also can fill in a bubble with positive self-affirmations, which are positive statements that describe a desired situation or goal, and are repeated often, until they get impressed on the subconscious mind. Hang this confidence wheel in your locker or above your bed, to reinforce these positive thoughts that you can use throughout rehabilitation.

Example: “I am a hardworking basketball player” or “I will battle through this injury”

Written by:

Scott A. Graupensperger, M.A.,
Bowling Green State University