| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

201ClassOne-ConcentrationConfidenceControlCommitment

Page history last edited by Jurgen 15 years, 4 months ago

New Material

 

The Seven Deadly Virtues of the Legionnaire

 

The Seven Deadly Virtues of the Legionnaire-Level Fighting Techniques

Virtue

Benefit

Sin

Impact

Virutous Assessment
Enables rapid analysis and consideration of opponent and knowledge of opponent, stance, handedness, terrain, weapon, defensiveness; and best approaches for offense, defense, and maneuver. Sinful Assessment XXXXXXXX
Virtuous Intent
Creates Focus through Concentration, Confidence, Control, and Commitment to develop a set of goals and a state of mind fixed on those goals oriented towards the aggressive expression of purpose and the will to carry it out. Sinful Intent
XXXXXXXX
Virtuous Footwork
Develop, maintain, and utilize balance and agility through the proper application of stance. lean and maneuver. Sinful Footwork
XXXXXXXX
Virtuous Position
Appropriately maneuvers or sets-up to maneuver into a mix of range, zone, and angle to place blows into undefended areas while ensuring defensive coverage Sinful Position
XXXXXXXX
Virtuous Timing XXXXXXXXXXXXX Sinful Timing
XXXXXXXX
Virtuous Technique XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Sinful Technique
XXXXXXXX
Virtuous Accuracy Rapid half-rotation wrist for thumb-turn wraparound; rapid wrist-shift for flat-snap; flowing full-rotation writst for Moulinet; lacks exertion by biceps or triceps Sinful Accuracy
XXXXXXXX

  

 

Virtuous Assessment (Analysis)

 

  • Opponent
  • Stance
  • Handedness
  • Terrain
  • Weapon
  • Defensiveness
  • Approaches

 

 

Virtuous Intent (Aggression/Will)

 

The 4C's

Concentration, confidence, control and commitment (the 4C's) are generally considered the main mental qualities that are important for successful performance in most sports.

  • Concentration - ability to maintain focus
  • Confidence - believe in one's abilities
  • Control - ability to maintain emotional control regardless of distraction
  • Commitment - ability to continue working to agreed goals

 

The techniques of relaxation, centering and mental imagery can assist an athlete to achieve the 4C's.

 

Concentration

This is the mental quality to focus on the task in hand. If the athlete lacks concentration then their athletic abilities will not be effectively or efficiently applied to the task. Research has identified the following types of attention focus:

  • Broad Narrow continuum - the athlete focuses on a large or small number of stimuli
  • Internal External continuum - the athlete focuses on internal stimuli (feelings) or external stimuli (ball)

 

The demand for concentration varies with the sport:

  • Sustained concentration - distance running, cycling, tennis, squash
  • Short bursts of concentration - cricket, golf, shooting, athletic field events
  • Intense concentration - sprinting events, bobsleigh, skiing

 

Common distractions are: anxiety, mistakes, fatigue, weather, public announcements, coach, manager, opponent, negative thoughts etc.

 

Strategies to improve concentration are very personal. One way to maintain focus is to set process goals for each session or competition. The athlete will have an overall goal for which the athlete will identify a number of process goals that help focus on specific aspects of the task. For each of these goals the athlete can use a trigger word (a word which instantly refocuses the athlete's concentration to the goal) e.g. sprinting technique requires the athlete to focus on being tall, relaxed, smooth and to drive with the elbows - trigger word could be "technique"

 

Athletes will develop a routine for competition that may include the night before, the morning, pre competition, competition and post competition routines. If these routines are appropriately structured then they can prove a useful aid to concentration.

 

How can I stay focused?

I expect you have seen an athlete become angry at their performance (throw a tantrum, throw the racket on the floor, argue with the judge etc.). The problem here is that the athlete is focusing on the mistake (the past), something than cannot be changed, and not on the future (the next point). In young athletes, this can be hard to overcome not only because they are inexperienced but also because of peer pressure or the fear of losing.

 

In sports psychology "pattern breaking" routines are used to help prevent the athlete falling into this negative attitude. A "pattern breaker" can be a word or phrase shouted within the brain (not vocally) or something physical (pinging an elastic band on the wrist). The coach can use the "pattern breaker" in training or competition to refocus the athlete. This approach may not be suitable for a young athlete as it is specialised and will take time for them to master.

 

Many young athletes have their idol (role model) who they would like to emulate. You may see the athlete attempt to assume the identity and hallmarks of the role model when they perform. This is beneficial provided the role model is a suitable one. Watching the role model in action (video, television, live) will help the athlete see how their idol stays focused and how they react to their mistakes. The role model's name could become the "pattern breaker" phrase for the coach to use when their young protégée falls into the negative thoughts trap. On hearing their role model's name the athlete will shift their focus to how their role model would react and assume a positive (calm, composed and motivated) approach.

 

What are the Benefits?

 

Mental Imagery itself can be useful in a number of circumstances including:

  • developing self confidence
  • developing pre-competition and competition strategies which teach athletes to cope with new situations before they actually encounter them
  • helping the athlete to focus his/her attention or concentrate on a particular skill he/she is trying to learn or develop. This can take place both in or away from the training session
  • the competition situation
  • When combined with relaxation it is useful in:
  • the promotion of rest, recovery and recuperation
  • the removal of stress related reactions, e.g. increased muscular tension, etc.
  • the establishing of a physical and mental state which has an increased receptivity to positive mental imagery
  • the establishing of a set level of physical and mental arousal prior to warming up for competition

 

The "Quick Set" Routine

 

Psychologist Jeff Simons developed a routine that would allow an athlete to achieve an appropriate mental arousal in the last 30 seconds before a competition. The "Quick Set" routine, which involves physical, emotional and focus cues, can also be used as a means of refocusing quickly following a distraction.

An example of this routine for a sprinter could be:

 

Close your eyes, clear your mind and maintain deep rhythmical breathing, in through your nose and out through your mouth (physical cue)

Imagine a previous race win, see yourself crossing the line in first place and recreate those emotional feelings of success (emotional cue)

Return your focus to the sprint start, think of blasting off on the 'B' of the bang with the appropriate limb action (focus cue)

 

"You only achieve what you believe"

I use this quotation when I hear an athlete make a negative statement about their ability. I also use it to focus the athlete's attention when assisting them to develop mental imagery skills.

 

Here are 10 specific ways of improving attention control and going into a “focus trance” more often:

1. Avoid negative thoughts and feelings, as these are needless distractions that rob you of limited focus capacity.

2. Remain focused on the present, attending to what is immediately important and blocking out past and future concerns and points. After a mistake, briefly note any changes necessary then move decisively to the next point.

3. Recite key words or phrases to yourself prior to the point to remind yourself to concentrate (e.g., "focus," "control," "good contact").

4. Be task- rather than outcome-oriented. Thinking about the score or how you look are common distractions. The outcome only improves when you ignore it and attend to the task at hand.

5. Slightly relax between points while avoiding external distractions. Some players achieve this by staring at an object (e.g., racket strings) and visualizing the next point.

6. Keep to yourself and avoid talking to your opponent or spectators during changeovers. This is your time to recharge energies, sip water, and calmly regain your focus for the next game.

7. Add a ritual, or consistent routine, to your game (e.g., adjust footwork, bounce ball) to help fight off needless distractions and keep your mind from wandering.

8. Be particularly vigilant when fatigued. Players often lose their focus when tired.

9. Attention and energy levels are closely related. Avoid becoming overly excited while remaining focused on executing shots and implementing your strategy. Breathing and/or relaxation exercises can help lower arousal.

10. Coaches should make practices fun by frequently allowing players to choose which skills to practice and varying the routine. This increases motivation and leads to improved focus.

http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/sportsscience/sportsscience.aspx?id=37508

 

17 Ways to Improve Your Concentration and Explode Your Productivity

Rodger Constandse : Time Management, Goal Setting, Productivity :

By John Fike

Being able to concentrate is one of the keys to increasing your productivity. It doesn’t matter what you’re working on, whether it’s a report related to work or a hobby project out in your garage, if you can’t focus on the task at hand, it will either not get done or not get done right.

 

Researchers have been able to show pretty conclusively that an inability to concentrate results in errors and mistakes and generally slows productivity in any environment.

Whether you’re being distracted by employers, coworkers, phone calls, family members or random thoughts and worries, every time we restart a task we have to spend time getting back up to speed or back to our frame of mind.

 

This can take anywhere from a few seconds to a half hour or longer, depending on the complexity of the project and the length of the interruption. This can cause a project to drag out longer than it has to or result in shoddy, inconsistent work.

 

Sometimes we are working on multiple tasks at a time, such as writing a report in between meetings and phone calls, with the belief that we are being more productive. This is commonly referred to as ‘multi-tasking’. However, it’s really a series of planned interruptions or distractions and it has the same negative effect on your work as any other sort of distraction.

 

However, research has shown that if you can set aside blocks of time to concentrate on a task or project, or learn to avoid distractions, you can usually complete it in less time with more consistency and fewer errors.

 

To help you increase your productivity through better concentration and focus, here are a few suggestions for building concentration skills and eliminating distractions:

 

1. Practice Concentrating

An athlete doesn’t just engage his sport during competitions. He practices various aspect of his sport when failure and success don’t matter. Likewise, practice concentrating when you don’t have to so that you’ll perform better when you do. The next two suggestions are exercises to help you practice.

 

2. Candle Watching

As an exercise, light a candle and practice concentrating on the flame. Just notice its colors and movement. Don’t analyze anything about the flame, just watch it and notice it. If your mind starts to wander, bring your attention back to the flame. Set a timer and practice for 5 minutes at a time.

 

3. Observe Breathing and Heart Beat

This exercise is similar to candle watching, but you’re going to focus on feeling your breath and heart beat. Since no external device is required, this can be done anywhere.

 

4. Separate Yourself from Your Environment

When reading or working at the computer, imagine sound-proof walls coming up around you and separating you from your surroundings. This is particularly useful if you have to work in a noisy or busy environment.

 

5. Set Goals

Having something to shoot for can help you focus on your work. The goal can be something you’ll receive by finishing the project, a time limit or a reward you’ll give yourself when the task is done.

 

6. Limit Focus Time

When you have to focus intensely, don’t do so for more than 60 to 90 minutes at a time. Just as your body needs a rest from time to time, so does your mind and the harder it’s working the more often it needs a break.

 

7. Avoid Stimulants

Stimulants, like caffeine and sugar, may energize, but they can also make it difficult to concentrate.

 

8. Allow Time for Mental Wandering

Your mind is kind of like a closet. If you just keep throwing things in, it becomes cluttered and disorganized.

Once in a while you have to pull everything out to see what’s there and put it back in orderly fashion so that you have more room and can find things more easily. Allowing your mind to wander from time to time increases its capacity to handle periods of concentration.

 

9. Write Down To-do List & Distracting Thoughts

Write down things you need to remember and thoughts that are distracting so that you can come back to them later and free your mind to concentrate now.

 

10. Use a Do-Not-Disturb Sign and Turn Off TV, Radio, Telephone, E-mail, and Internet

Let others know that you don’t want to be disturbed and eliminate as many avenues of interruption as possible. Sometimes this may mean working in an unusual location. Occasionally I’ll take my notebook computer to the basement to work because nobody disturbs me there.

 

11. Eliminate Distractions Ahead of Time

If you know something is likely to come up during your focus time, try to deal with it before you get started. This includes getting a snack or drink if you are likely to get hungry or thirsty while working.

 

12. Notice Distracting Thoughts and Cut Them Off

If you catch your thoughts wandering, bring them back to focus. If you can’t do it just mentally, try the next suggestion:

 

13. Do Something Physical to Re-establish Focus

Sometimes we need a physical cue to re-establish focus. Writing or typing anything or picking up a tool can help you get your mind back to the task. Or use the ‘Tunnel Vision’ method and cup your hands around your eyes like blinders on a horse and aim your vision at the work to be done.

 

14. Develop an Interest in Your Task

It’s easier to focus on something you’re interested in. Think about any aspect of the task that makes it interesting. If the subject doesn’t interest you, maybe you can find interest in how the task will benefit you or someone else.

 

15. Recognize Conditions that Promote Concentration

When do you find it easiest to concentrate? When the light is bright or dim? When there’s silence or when there’s background noise? Do you concentrate better in a cleared space or do you focus better surrounded by clutter? Can you concentrate better when you’re alert or when you’re calm and maybe a little tired?

Plan your concentration periods for when circumstances are best.

 

16. Create a Space for Working and Concentrating

Once you know what conditions promote your ability to concentrate, set up your workspace to implement as many of them as possible or find a location that facilitates concentration.

 

17. Practice the 5 More Rule

To increase the length of time in which you can comfortably concentrate, every time you feel like taking a break force yourself to go five minutes more and then take your break. Or, if you are working on a series of tasks or items like assembly or database entries, force yourself to do five more before taking a break.

This will extend your concentration endurance.

http://www.goalstoaction.com/blog/39/17-ways-to-improve-concentration

 

Improving Your Concentration Skills (National Adult Literacy ...

 

Global, broad and narrow focus

 

Before any meaningful discussion about focus can occur, we first need to consider the three types of focus that a person needs to be able to utilize. The first would be a global focus where you are not focused on any specific person or thing; rather you are in an alert mode, ready to focus on anything as required. This type of focus should rarely, if ever, be used during training or competition. The second type is a broad focus, which is significantly more intense than the previous type and involves outside stimuli that you must be aware of in order successfully complete a task. One of the best examples of this would be driving a car; while the other cars and traffic laws are not under your control you need to be aware of what is going on and react accordingly. Finally, there is the narrow focus, where you focus on only one particular item or action. This focus is so intense that individual will often miss stimuli external to their focus. A classic example is someone who is so focused on a particular television show that they do not respond the first couple of times someone calls their name.

 

Often we hear athletes speaking of being in the zone but rarely do we take time to think about what this actually means. Watch most professional athletes and you will see the physical cues they go through in order to enter the zone. Everything from the baseball player tapping their cleats to a golfer walking on the tee box from the same side every time to the hockey player who has to be the last one off the ice - these athletes are using their physical cues to get focused on the task at hand. For most of these athletes, the cues have been reinforced, in practice and in competition, over their entire career. One of the largest benefits of these cues is that they help an athlete switch from a broad to a narrow focus.

 

Your focus as a triathlete

 

As a triathlete, your physical cues are going to be very different from those that appear in other sports. Where most athletes need to worry about switching to a narrow focus for a very short period of time, the triathlete is more concerned with maintaining a narrow focus over a long period of time. As such, your cues will be used to bring your focus back when you start to lose your concentration. These cues will be developed and used in your training and they need to be something that you can do while completing the sport. For example, a cue that could be used on the bike could be checking to see that your helmet is still fastened and pushing up your glasses. Every time that you lose focus during your workout, check the helmet strap and glasses while changing your focus. If you do this consistently during your training, you will find that this will help you regain your composure and concentration. Another cue that you could use would be to check your physical performance after you notice that you have started to lose focus. For example, you could check your cadence while running to ensure that you are maintaining 90rpm. If you know that you are someone who is easily distracted from a narrow focus, you could set the timer on your watch to signal at a given interval and check your cadence at that point. Focusing on this specific physical indicator will help you regain your lost focus. Ultimately, it does not matter what cues you use to bring your focus back from the broad to the narrow, just that you are able to do it.

 

Although being able to maintain a narrow focus is very important, so is the ability to switch quickly between narrow and broad focus. For example, while on the cycle leg an athlete would have to be aware of the distance behind other riders, traffic, road conditions, traffic signs, cadence, speed, exertion level and fueling to name a few. As a rider moves up on another they first need to be aware of overtaking the other rider (broad), gauge whether or not they will be able to pass (narrow), check traffic (broad), increase cadence/shift gears(narrow), ensure they pass in the allotted time (broad) and decrease cadence/shift gears (narrow). Since all of these things must happen within a very short period of time, the athlete’s ability to switch between broad and narrow focus will improve how well they are able to pass another rider.

 

Practice switching focus

 

The good news is that a great deal of these skills are practiced everyday in training: while swimming you need to be aware of the other swimmers in your lane, on the bike and run you are constantly aware of vehicles, stop signs, traffic lights and changes in road conditions. Trying to get meaningful training in while facing these distractions will help hone your ability to switch between narrow and broad focus. However, there are drills you can do in order to help improve these skills even further. The first is to read while sitting in front of the television (this works best if you are not especially interested in the reading material but you are interested in the show) and read for as long as you can without becoming distracted. After reading a given amount, maybe a page, switch your focus to the television show for a minute and then go back to reading. Once you become proficient at this, you can up the stakes by reading smaller amounts (paragraphs or even sentences), watch T.V. for a few seconds and then try to go back to reading at the exact spot you left off. Another exercise that I have found to work well with my athletes is to have them watch a sporting event (the sport is not really important but it should be something relatively fast – basketball, hockey, volleyball, etc) and have them vary focus between narrow (the athlete controlling the play) and broad (what all the athletes are doing). Although I have mainly used this to help athletes read and react to what other players are doing on the floor, it has also helped them with their ability to focus. The best thing about these drills is that they will not take you away from your family, increase your chance of injury or be cancelled due to weather conditions.

 

The ability to concentrate at the task at hand can help athletes move their performances to the next level. With very little effort, narrow and broad focus can easily be incorporated into your existing training, allowing you to move even closer to your next PB!

 

References

  • Kellner, S. & Cross, D. Volleyball Cybernetics. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Edwards Brothers, Inc, 1999
  • Doucette, T – NCCP Level 4 Coach (Softball)

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=394

 

Confidence

Confidence results from the comparison an athlete makes between the goal and their ability. The athlete will haveself-confidence if they believe they can achieve their goal. (Comes back to a quote of mine - "You only achieve what you believe").

 

When an athlete has self confidence they will tend to: persevere even when things are not going to plan, show enthusiasm, be positive in their approach and take their share of the responsibility in success and fail.

 

To improve their self confidence, an athlete can use mental imagery to:

  • visualise previous good performance to remind them of the look and feel
  • imagine various scenarios and how they will cope with them

 

Mental Imagery

 

Mental imagery involves the athletes imagining themselves in a specific environment or performing a specific activity. The images should have the athlete performing these items very well and successfully. They should see themselves enjoying the activity and feeling satisfied with their performance. They should attempt to enter fully into the image with all their senses. Sight, hear, feel, touch, smell and perform, as they would like to perform in real life.

 

When an athlete is in a fully relaxed state, he/she is particularly receptive to mental imagery. The next stage is then to learn how to develop and apply mental imagery skills.

 

What can Mental Imagery be used for?

 

Mental Imagery can be used:

  • To see success. Many athletes "see" themselves achieving their goals on a regular basis, both performing skills at a high level and seeing the desired performance outcomes
  • To motivate. Before or during training sessions, calling up images of your goals for that session, or of a past or future competition or competitor can serve a motivational purpose. It can vividly remind you of your objective, which can result in increased intensity in training.
  • To perfect skills. Mental imagery is often used to facilitate the learning and refinement of skills or skill sequences. The best athletes "see" and "feel" themselves performing perfect skills, programs, routines, or plays on a very regular basis.
  • To familiarise. Mental imagery can be effectively used to familiarize yourself with all kinds of things, such as a competition site, a race course, a complex play pattern or routine, a pre-competition plan, an event focus plan, a media interview plan, a refocusing plan, or the strategy you plan to follow
  • To set the stage for performance. Mental imagery is often an integral part of the pre-competition plan, which helps set the mental stage for a good performance. Athletes do a complete mental run through of the key elements of their performance. This helps draw out their desired pre-competition feelings and focus. It also helps keep negative thoughts from interfering with a positive pre-game focus.
  • To refocus. Mental imagery can be useful in helping you to re focus when the need arises. For example, if a warm-up is feeling sluggish, imagery of a previous best performance or previous best event focus can help get things back on track. You can also use imagery as a means of refocusing within the event, by imagining what you should focus on and feeling that focus.

 

Mental imagery should not focus on the outcome but on the actions to achieve the desired outcome.

 

How do I Apply Mental Imagery?

 

Golfing great Jack Nicklaus used mental imagery. In describing how he images his performance, he wrote:

"I never hit a shot even in practice without having a sharp in-focus picture of it in my head. It's like a colour movie. First, I "see" the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I "see" the ball going there: its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behaviour on landing. Then there's a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality only at the end of this short private Hollywood spectacular do I select a club and step up to the ball."

 

When should mental imagery be used?

 

To become highly proficient at the constructive use of imagery, you have to use it ever day, on your way to training, during training, after training, and in the evenings before sleeping. If you want to perfect and use mental imagery to your fullest advantage, you can start by doing two things. In every training session, before you execute any skill or combination of skills, first do it in imagery as perfectly and precisely as possible. See, feel, and experience yourself moving through the actions in your mind, as you would like them actually to unfold. In competitions, before the event starts, mentally recall the event focus plan, significant plays, skills, movements, reactions, or feelings that you want to carry into the event.

 

Control

 

Identifying when an athlete feels a particular emotion and understanding the reason for the feelings is an important stage of helping an athlete gain emotional control. An athlete's ability to maintain control of their emotions in the face of adversity and remain positive is essential to successful performance. Two emotions that are often associated with poor performance are anxiety and anger.

 

Anxiety comes in two forms - Physical (butterflies, sweating, nausea, needing the toilet) and Mental (worry, negative thoughts, confusion, lack of concentration). Relaxation is a technique that can be used to reduce anxiety.

 

When an athlete becomes angry, the cause of the anger often becomes the focus of attention. This then leads to a lack of concentration on the task, performance deteriorates and confidence in ability is lost which fuels the anger - a slippery slope to failure.

 

Relaxation

Relaxation itself can be useful in a number of circumstances including:

  • the promotion of rest, recovery and recuperation
  • the removal of stress related reactions, e.g. increased muscular tension, etc.
  • the establishing of a physical and mental state which has an increased receptivity to positive mental imagery
  • the establishing of a set level of physical and mental arousal prior to warming up for competition

 

Mental Imagery

 

When combined with positive mental imagery it is useful in:

  • developing self confidence
  • developing pre-competition and competition strategies which teach athletes to cope with new situations before they actually encounter them
  • helping the athlete to focus his/her attention or concentrate on a particular skill he/she is trying to learn or develop. This can take place both in or away from the training session
  • the competition situation

 

How do I achieve relaxed muscles?

 

Progressive muscular relaxation involves the active contracting and relaxing of muscles. When a muscle is tightened for 4-6 seconds and then relaxed, the muscle returns to a more relaxed state. This process should be performed for the following parts of the body in turn - feet, legs, thighs, buttocks, stomach, back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, jaw, face and eyes.

 

How will relaxed muscles feel?

 

J.H. Schultz in the 1930's noticed that patients in a relaxed state experienced one of two sensations: the feeling of warmth or the feeling of heaviness in completely relaxed limbs.

 

During the relaxation process, concentration should be focused on one of these sensations. For the first few sessions, the athlete should alternate the focus between sessions to determine which one they prefer.

 

Can Relaxation have a Negative Effect?

 

In a competition situation an athlete will either be:

  • Under excited; low in arousal; find it hard to "get up" for the competition; disinterested; etc.
  • Over excited; high in arousal; over the top; nervous-anxious; scared of the competition; sick with worry; etc.
  • Optimally excited; nervous but in control; looking forward to the competition but apprehensive; thinking positively; feeling good; etc.

 

If we were to use relaxation procedures with an over excited athlete, we might be able to reduce his/her arousal level to that of the optimally excited athlete. This would have a positive effect on his/her performance. However if we asked an under-excited athlete to use relaxation procedures it would only make it harder for him/her to "get-up" for the competition. The coach therefore has to know his/her athletes and how they react in competitive situations.

 

Relaxation Training

 

There are a number of relaxation techniques that have the following characteristics:

  • procedures for first recognising and then releasing tension in muscles
  • concentration on breathing control and regulation
  • concentration on sensations such as heaviness, warmth
  • mental imagery

 

Regardless of which technique is used, the following two conditions need to exist if the technique is to be learned:

  • the athlete must believe that relaxation will help
  • a quiet, dimly lit and warm room which is free from interruption

 

Centering

 

The Centering technique was developed by the Tibetan Monks over 2000 years ago. Centering requires you to focus your attention on the centre of your body, the area just behind your naval button. The technique has a calming and controlling effect, providing an effective way to manage anxiety.

 

  • Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms hanging loosely by your side
  • Close your eyes and breath evenly - try to keep the tension in the upper body to a minimum as you breath
  • Inhale deeply from your abdomen (your stomach will extend) and be aware of the tension in your face, neck, shoulders and chest. As you exhale let the tension fall away and focus on the feeling of heaviness in your stomach
  • Continue to breath evenly and deeply and focus your attention on the centre of your body, the area just behind your naval button
  • Maintain your attention on that spot and continue to breath evenly and deeply, feeling controlled, heavy and calm
  • As you breath out think of a word that encapsulates the physical feeling and mental focus you want e.g. "relax", "calm"

 

Self Hypnosis

 

This is one of the most popular self-hypnosis techniques employed by athletes. It aims to help you distance your mind from the here and now and place you in a setting that you associate with relaxation and inner calm. This script could be recorded as an MP3 file - where there are 3 full stops (...) leave a pause for a few seconds and remember to speak clearly and slowly. The following script is an adaptation of a script published by the London College of Clinical Hypnosis.

 

Firstly you need to relax, put on some very relaxing music or sounds of nature, sit or lie down in a position that you find comfortable in a place where you are unlikely to be disturbed.

 

Look up at your eyebrows and begin to concentrate on the sounds around you... maybe the distant sound of a car driving by or the hustle and bustle outside on the street... then concentrate on the sounds of the music, feel it flowing over you as if it were the tide going in and out, in and out... now begin to pay attention to the sound of your thoughts... concentrate on your breathing. Take deep breaths in and out... in and out... listen to your heart beat... become aware of your eyelids and feel them blinking quickly and notice that you have a strong desire to close your eyes... allow your eyes to close and feel a deep sensation of relaxation. In a few seconds, you will imagine your favourite place of relaxation... maybe somewhere you have been before, a beautiful garden, a deserted beach, a summer meadow or somewhere you can imagine you would feel relaxed... and now... just imagine that you are standing on a balcony... and there is a long set of stairs in front of you... leading down from this balcony... there are strong stairs... with wide steps... and a handrail on each side... the stairs are well lit... and you can see them clearly... In a few seconds' time... you can count down from 10 to one... and with each descending number between 10 and one... you will take a single step down the stairs... and with each descending number you will become more and more calm, more and more relaxed... each step down from the balcony will take you deeper and deeper... into your wonderful state of relaxation... and as you slowly descend these stairs... you are going to experience a sense of ever-deepening relaxation... throughout your entire body... You will feel the stairs under your feet and when you eventually reach step one, you can pause and wonder where you might go next... again you feel very tranquil and this tranquility is accompanied by a sense of anticipation... you will then step off... and when you do so... you will find yourself in your favourite place of relaxation... and enjoy... this beautiful place... Provide yourself with only positive and beneficial suggestions. For example, relating to increasing your self-confidence, attaining peak performance in an upcoming competition, or mastering a specific sports skill that has perhaps proved elusive to you. If, at any time, for any reason, for example in case of emergency or any situation where full attention is required, by opening your eyes, you will be fully alert.

To take yourself out of your relaxing place in a gradual manner, simply count up slowly from one to ten, on reaching the number eight, open your eyes, and at the number 10 you will be fully awake and alert. As you stand up, have a stretch and notice how good you feel.

 

Meditation for Relaxation

 

A number of people involved in sports psychology believe that meditation can be useful in getting maximum performance from an athlete (Syer & Connolly, 1984). Engaging in meditation helps reduce stress before an event and with experience the athlete can learn to relax different muscle groups and appreciate subtle differences in muscle tension. The technique includes the following steps:

  • Lie down quietly on your back in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
  • Deeply relax all your muscles, beginning at your feet and progressing to your face.
  • Breathe through your nose and become aware of your breathing. As you breathe out, say the word "one" silently to yourself. For example, breathe in . . . out, "one"; in . . . out, "one"; and so on. Continue for 20 minutes. You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use an alarm. When you finish, lie quietly for several minutes at first with closed eyes and later with opened eyes.
  • Maintain a passive attitude, permit relaxation to occur at its own pace and expect other thoughts. When distracting thoughts occur, return your concentration to your breathing.

 

Try to practice a relaxation technique once a day. 

 

Relaxation Techniques

This page contains a program to help you relax. Each session should begin with "Getting Loose" and then followed with "Breathing Easy". It is best to use the relaxation program prior to commencing the warm up and then to use the warm up to achieve optimal level of arousal.

 

Getting Loose

 

Begin each session as follows:

  • Loosen your clothing and remove your shoes
  • Lie down with a pillow under your head (on a bed or on the floor)
  • Lie flat on your back, feet about 12 to 18 inches apart and your arms at your sides
  • Go as limp as you can from head to foot
  • Let your shoulder blades go slightly flat
  • Waggle your feet
  • Settle in with your legs
  • Shake your arms gently, rolling the backs of your hands against the floor
  • Roll your head back and forth

 

Now begin the "Getting Loose" exercise for each part of your body, as follows

 

Legs

  • Flex the muscles of your left leg by raising it 6 to 10 inches above the floor Point your toes slightly back toward your head. Hold this position of tension for as long as you can, about 10 seconds or so, until you begin to feel the muscles start to tremble. Then, say to yourself 'Leg, let go'. At this point, stop flexing it and let the leg drop. Let the leg rest for another 10 seconds or so, saying to yourself 'I feel the tension flowing out of my leg...my leg feels relaxed, warm, heavy... completely relaxed'
  • Repeat the flex-let go-rest procedure for that leg.
  • Run through the entire procedure again for your right leg.

 

Buttocks and thighs

  • Tighten your buttock and thigh muscles, as tightly as you can. Hold them as long as you can - longer than 10 seconds - until you have to let go. Then release them, saying 'Let go', to yourself. Pause for 10 seconds or so and focus your attention on the relaxed feeling in those muscles, on the tension flowing out.
  • Repeat the exercise.

 

Stomach

  • Do the same procedure twice for your abdominal muscles

 

Back and Neck

  • Arch your spine, tightening all along it from your tailbone to your neck, and finish by telling it 'Let go'.
  • Repeat the exercise

 

Arms and Shoulders

  • Imagine there is a bar suspended above you that you want to use to pull yourself up. Raise your hands, palms upward, above your chest. Grab the imaginary bar and clench your fists around it as hard as you can. Flex the muscles in your arms and shoulders. Hunch your shoulders up as tightly as you can. Hold as long as possible and then say 'Let go. ' Rest for 10 seconds or so, soaking up the warm, relaxed feelings, letting the tension flow out.
  • Repeat the exercise

 

Jaw

  • I tighten your jaw muscles, clamping down on you back teeth. Say 'Let go' and relax.
  • Repeat the exercise.

 

Face

  • Tighten your facial muscles into a strong grimace. Say 'Let go'. Rest and focus on the relaxing feeling.
  • Repeat the exercise.

 

Eyes

  • Focus on a point on the ceiling. Without moving your head slowly roll your eyes to the right as far as they will go, then to the centre, then to the left, then back to the centre.
  • Rub the palms of your hands together until you feel heat. Close your eyes and cover them with your hands. Let the heat warm them. Rest, and tell your eyes 'Let go' and feel the tension flow out as you feel the warmth.

 

Entire body

  • Clench your feet and fists. Pull your shoulders up. Tighten your jaw and face. Now simultaneously flex your entire body, arching yourself as much as you can from your heels to the back of your head. Hold it for as long as you can until you feel your body tremble. Then say 'Let go' - and just let yourself go... all the way, as much as you can.
  • Lie there and feel the tension drain away.
  • Get totally relaxed
  • Close your eyes. Let your attention wander slowly over each part of your body, from legs to face, as you did in the exercise. If any area seems to have some residual tension, tense it. Let you. Feel the tension draining out of you, but do not worry if there is still a little left. Keeping your eyes closed, stay in this relaxed state for the rest of the 10 minute session. Think of a very pleasant, peaceful place. Think of floating in a small boat on a peaceful lake with a soft breeze gently rocking you back and forth, back and forth. Alternatively think of floating in space, lighter than air, weightless. Observe the pleasant, calm feelings. Tell yourself 'I am relaxed now... My legs feel relaxed... My buttocks, thighs, and abdomen feel relaxed... My back arms, shoulders, jaws, face and eyes feel relaxed... The tension has been let go. '
  • Focus your relaxed feelings
  • Now begin to focus this relaxation on your event. Tell yourself 'When I am running and I begin to feel tension gripping some muscles, I will be able to tell those muscles "Let go", saying "Let go" will recall the relaxed feelings I feel now and will release the tension from those muscles.'

 

Breathing Easy

 

Having completed the "Getting Loose" exercises remain lying on your back. Carry out the "Breathing Easy" exercise for 10 minutes, as follows:

 

Inhale

  • Inhale slowly and deeply, filling your chest with air, counting four seconds to yourself 'One and two and three and four'. The count is to give you a nice and easy, even pace. Try to breathe as fully as you can without discomfort. Imagine your chest slowly filling with air, from your diaphragm to your collar.
  • Hold breath
  • When you have inhaled fully, hold your breath for another four seconds, again counting to yourself 'One and two and three and four'. This should be just a comfortable pause. Do not do it until you are blue in the face.

 

Exhale

  • Exhale - but do not blow. Just let the air out through your mouth slowly saying to yourself 'Easy...easy... easy... easy.' Let out as much air as you can, down to the lower part of the lungs. Feel yourself relaxing as you do. Feel your shoulders, chest and diaphragm letting go. As you exhale, think of the tension flowing out of you.
  • Do not worry if the sequence is not exact or the cadence perfect. It may seem a bit difficult to stay with at first, but just keep going. The important thing is to establish the slow relaxed breathing rate. After the ten cycles, your breathing rate will be automatically slower and you can dispense with the "one and two and three and four" cadence.

 

Now do as follows:

  • Inhale - Breathe in fully.
  • Hold breath - Hold it very briefly.
  • Exhale - Let the air out slowly (do not blow), saying mentally 'Easy... easy... easy... easy ' with each exhalation.
  • Repeat this cycle ten times.
  • You will soon begin to feel a calm, thoroughly pleasurable feeling - some say a warmth radiating from your chest throughout your body
  • Now let yourself breathe normally and tell yourself relaxing phrases 'I feel very relaxed... All the tension is going out of me as I exhale and good feelings are coming into me as I inhale... When I am playing my sport, I will be able to take a few deep breaths and by saying, "Easy " will be able to tell myself to relax whenever I feel overly tense... When I am playing, I will recall the good feelings I am experiencing now and they will automatically return to me. Imagine all this happening as you say it to yourself.
  • Now do as follows
  • Inhale - Breathe in slowly
  • Hold breath - Hold it very briefly
  • Exhale - Let the air out slowly while mentally saying to yourself 'Easy... easy... easy... easy.'
  • Repeat this cycle ten times.
  • Now let your breathing go naturally, and pay attention to the pleasant feelings in your body. Repeat the same encouraging phrases to yourself that you did earlier. Listen to the sound of your own breath coming in and out. You will notice that the breathing is slow and deep without you having to make it that way. The exhaling will last longer - as long as an eight-count, perhaps.
  • Continue to do the breathing exercises for the rest of the session, each time alternating the ten cycles of inhale-hold-exhale with the mental encouragement. After the last cycle of ten, just let yourself enjoy the feeling for a minute.
  • Tell yourself for the rest of the day I will recall these sensations every time I tell myself 'Easy'

 

Additional Information

 

Associated Pages

 

The following Sports Coach pages should be read in conjunction with this page:

  • Articles on Psychology training
  • Competitive Anxiety
  • Mental Imagery
  • Performance Profiling
  • Psychology
  • Relaxation
  • Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT)
  • Stress Management
  • TEOSQ - Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire
  • Training Books
  • Training Products

 

Associated Books

 

The following books provide more information related to this topic:

  • Psyching for Sport, T. Orlick, ISBN 0 88011 275 1
  • Grace Under Pressure, A. Vile et al., ISBN 1 4116 0861 5
  • Advanced Studies in Physical Education and Sport, P Beashel et al., ISBN 0 17 4482345
  • Physical Education and the Study of Sport, B. Davis et al., ISBN 0 7234 31752
  • Essentials of Exercise Physiology, W.D. McArdle et al., ISBN 0 683 30507 7
  • Physical Education and Sport Studies, D. Roscoe et al., ISBN 1 901424 20 0
  • The World of Sport Examined, P. Beashel et al., ISBN 0 17 438719 9
  • Advanced PE for Edexcel, F. Galligan et al., ISBN 0 435 50643 9
  • Examining Physical Education, K. Bizley, ISBN 0 435 50660 9
  • Sport and PE, K Wesson et al., ISBN 0 340 683821
  • PE for you, J. Honeybourne, ISBN 0 7487 3277 2

 

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES:

CAN THEY MAKE YOU A BETTER ATHLETE?

by Michael Bohnstengel

 

Relaxation is of great importance to any athlete striving for peak performance. Relaxation skills can help athletes reduce mental (self-doubts, worry, etc.) and physical anxiety (nausea, shaking, etc.), while increasing concentration and performance. Relaxation techniques can be used prior to competition or, if practiced enough, during competition. There are many techniques for keeping cool prior to and during competition. Breath controlled relaxation, mantra meditation, and blank meditation tools are used for controlling nervousness/anxiety.

 

Breath controlled relaxation is a technique that requires practice to learn properly. It can help with both mental and physical anxiety. Begin by practicing once a day for 15-20 minutes at a time. Assume a lying or sitting position in a quiet place that is free from distractions. Practice involves four steps and approximately 17-20 minutes to complete the entire technique. The four steps include:

 

  • Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. For the next 2-3 minutes, remain focused on the rise and fall of your chest. Notice that your breathing is calm and steady.
  • Next, focus your attention on the sound of your breathing. As you relax more your breathing will get louder. Keep it calm and steady for 2-3 minutes. Be sure to stay relaxed as you listen to your breathing.
  • Now allow your chest muscles to relax every time you exhale. Also, allow your chest muscles to fall deeper and deeper within you on each exhalation. Remember to keep your breathing calm and steady. Continue to relax in this manner for 3-4 minutes.
  • With your chest muscles completely relaxed and resting deep within you, listen to your breathing. Now continue to relax for approximately 10 minutes. Then count down from 5-1 and open your eyes on 1.

 

Breath controlled relaxation obviously takes some time to learn, but with practice, one deep breath during competition will trigger the relaxed feeling. It is a great way to relax and refocus during downtime in sport. A good example would be during a free-throw attempt in basketball. Just one deep breath, at the line, can relax tension in the arms and shoulders and contribute to a feeling of control before the shot.

 

Mantra meditation is a method that can help athletes who have high levels of mental anxiety. The first step involves getting into a comfortable position, such as lying down or sitting (Hardy, 1996). Next, close your eyes; take 20 minutes and breathe normally while internally repeating a "mantra.". A mantra is any calming word or sound that has no meaning such as "mmmm."

 

Mantra meditation should be practiced daily for a total feeling of calmness and control. It can be useful for pre-game jitters or anxiety during competition. The ultimate goal is to repeat a "mantra" and reach a calming state within seconds. It can be used immediately prior to competition, or even during competition to regain composure and focus.

 

Blank meditation is another example of a meditation procedure to help ease pre-game jitters and increase concentration. Once again, assume a comfortable position such as sitting in a chair or lying in a bed.

 

Then, close your eyes and try to clear all thoughts from your head. The goal is to clear your mind of all thoughts and "blank-out" one's mind. A "blank" is considered to be when you think of nothing at all and see nothing but darkness. At the beginning level most will reach the "blank" level for a second or two, but will break it immediately by thinking "wow" or "I've got it." Reaching the "blank" is more difficult at the beginning stages but, with practice, it can be held for several minutes.

 

So, practice daily and then use it prior to competition. With practice, the "blank" stage can be reached in a matter of seconds and can calm an athlete down between the time of the coach's pep talk and the start of the first or second half of competition.

 

The key to any relaxation technique is practice. Each technique discussed will take several weeks of practice before an athlete will be able to achieve a beneficial level of control prior to and during competition. However, the benefits realized from being able to relax justify the time spent.

 

References:

  • Garfield, C.A., & Bennett, H.Z. (1984). Peak performance. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc.
  • Hardy, L., Jones, G., & Gould, D. (1996). Understanding psychological preparation for sport: Theory and practice of elite performers. England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
  • Wallace, R. K., & Benson, H. (1972). The physiology of meditation. Scientific American, 226, 85-90.
  • Michael Bohnstengel is currently an undergraduate student majoring in Sport Psychology and Psychology with a minor in Coaching at the University of Northern Iowa. He is also a member of the Sport Psychology Research Team.

 

http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/sports/relaxtech.html

 

Commitment

 

Sports performance depends on the athlete being fully committed to numerous goals over many years. In competition with these goals the athlete will have many aspects of daily life to manage. The many competing interests and commitments include work, studies, family/partner, friends, social life and other hobbies/sports

 

Within the athlete's sport, commitment can be undermined by:

  • a perceived lack of progress or improvement
  • not being sufficiently involved in developing the training program
  • not understanding the objectives of the training program
  • injury
  • lack of enjoyment
  • anxiety about performance - competition
  • becoming bored
  • coach athlete not working as a team
  • lack of commitment by other athletes

 

Setting goals with the athlete will raise their feelings of value, give them joint ownership of the goals and therefore become more committed to achieving them. All goals should be SMARTER.

 

Many people (coach, medical support team, manager, friends, etc) can contribute to an athlete's levels of commitment with appropriate levels of support and positive feedback, especially during times of injury, illness and poor performance.

 

Successful emotional states

 

The following are emotional states experienced with successful performance:

  • Happy - felt that this was my opportunity to demonstrate an excellent performance. Felt I could beat anybody.
  • Calm and nervous - Felt nervous but really at ease with these feelings. I accepted and expected to be nervous but felt ready to start.
  • Anxious but excited - Felt so ready to compete but a little nervous. Nerves and excitement come together
  • Confident - I remembered all the successful training sessions and previous best performances

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.