Millions of people participate in competitive sports all over the world.# Positive thinking in sports
Sports psychology is a well-established field and a psychologist is part of the training squad in most professional teams Thus, understanding oneself and how one’s mind works has a lot to contribute to sports . https://blogs.humanwisdom.me/
All sportsmen and women accept that being physically fit is important for their specific sport and they train rigorously to be as physically fit as they can be. Mental health is equally important, and perhaps they don’t give as much attention to it unless they develop a problem. Mental illness is very common in sports, but people usually hide it because that would make them look ‘weak’ in the eyes of their coaches and peers.
“If you focus on the hurt you continue to suffer. If you focus on the lesson, you continue to grow.” – Anon # Positive thinking in sports
Understanding ourselves and how our minds work brings wisdom, and that allows us to face the challenges that we may encounter as athletes. For example, understanding our self-image may allow us to accept criticism with intelligence rather than just reacting with hurt and anger.
How we cope with failure is important, because it is going to be part of every sports person’s life. There is a natural anxiety that occurs before any game. That can often boost performance, but too much of it and we can fail to perform, worried about the ‘what if I fail’ scenario. In some cases, it can be paralysing and affect the performance on any given day. Understanding that all anxiety is linked to thinking about the consequences of failure, allows a person to meet their goals from a fresh perspective, neither suppressing it nor escaping from it. If one can understand that feeling entirely without calling it anxiety, it can dissolve. This is simple, but not easy. Fear can be overcome – we just need to apply ourselves to understanding it.
Our hidden beliefs can get in the way of our performance in any sport. If we don’t believe we are good enough, that will feed into our performance, because it may stop us from pushing ourselves beyond a certain limit. If you believe you can achieve anything you want, you are already halfway there. Low self-esteem can cause stress, anxiety, loss of confidence and many other problems.
Here’s a short video to help you understand what a healthy self-esteem is, and how it may impact our lives:
Video – https://humanwisdom.me/course/adults/self-esteem/s459
If we are involved in any sport we also have to question what success means to us? Why do we want to be successful? Usually, it boosts the ‘I’ or the ego and that brings us satisfaction, which we love. Do we realise that the pursuit of success can also lead to frustration and mental health problems? Exploring these questions for oneself may allow us to find our own answers, and develop a healthy attitude towards the sport we partake in. It doesn’t mean that pleasure is ‘bad’, or that the pursuit of ‘success’ is unhealthy, but exploring and understanding the nature of pleasure, success, anxiety, fear and belief may allow us to approach our sport using wisdom, without experiencing the mental health challenges that are so common in today’s competitive world.
Understanding yourself, which leads to wisdom, can help you enjoy your sport more, deal with the challenges you will face, and boost your performance.
To find out more download the HumanWisdom app, or visit humanwisdom.me. # Positive thinking in sport
