How can Sports Performance Psychology help the amateur athlete?

In any competitive sport mental preparation can be viewed as every bit as important as being physically fit. Sport & Exercise Psychologists typically work with athletes on difficulties like reducing performance anxiety and dealing with the unexpected, unwanted rehabilitation time due to an injury

It is important to note that these services are not just for professional athletes.  If you personally view athletic participation as a serious endeavor, are investing your time and resources, and have the motivation to excel in your activity, you could be aided by a sports psychologist.  A future Ironman afraid of swimming with 2,000 other people, for example, is a perfect candidate. So is a cyclist or skier anxious about getting in the saddle again after a bad crash. Are you a golfer and seem to keep losing a narrow lead to your friend right at the end of the round?.  It is important to state that Sport Psychology does not replace the physical and technical work you need to do, but it can get you into the right place mentally to allow you to make these physical transformations effectively.

 To get you started  try spending 20 to 30 minutes a day with these 3 tips for a mental performance boost.

RELAX
Anxiety is the primary reason competitors seek help with a Sport & Exercise Psychologist. Anxiety can aid performance to a point but too much of it can cause an unwanted distraction. To combat it, figure out what helps you relax. Music is a great starting point; listening to music that we enjoy can help us to stay in the present which is important for a clear mind.

Try doing progressive muscle relaxation by tensing each muscle for five seconds and then relaxing it. Start with your forehead and end with your toes. This can really allow us to find out what areas of our body are tense.

SET GOALS
Try setting daily and weekly goals rather than long term goals. Long term goals can often be what we ultimately want but we need to set more short-term targets to keep motivated and on track. long term goals can often seem so far away so there is more chance of us not meeting these targets. A daily goal may be as specific as running at a certain pace for a particular distance, while a weekly goal might be running three miles more than the week before. “Write down your goals, and keep them specific, measurable, and challenging, there is also nothing wrong with modifying goals. Sometimes we only find out goals are unrealistic once we have set them. Changing is not failing!

VISUALIZE
There is a skill to being able to paint a picture of what you want to do and to solve problems ahead of time and like any skill this involves practice. It is worth trying to visualise your cycle race or your round of golf—and any problems you may encounter—will make you better prepared to handle whatever the day throws at you. If your 10K cycle has a climb, for instance, “visualize feeling strong, breathing easily, and conquering the hill,” If you’re worried about making that putt on the 18th green visualise what the shape of the green looks like. “The key is to create a scenario where you see yourself performing at an optimal level. 

For any further information or any questions about how Sport Psychology may be able to help you please get in touch.