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Mindset Mastery eNewsletter
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AWE
...I feel rejuvenated after spending last week floating the San Juan River -located in the four corners area.
After enjoying a multi-day trip, I think the kiddos are now officially river rats.
Let the new chapter of adventures begin!
Speaking of chapters
...today I finished editing the first chapter of my sports psychology book.
In the first chapter, I define sports psychology, evidence to support that the most successful athletes spend more time mentally preparing and explain the myths about mental training.
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To capture the essence of sport, I'm looking for an action photo that captures the personal pursuit of excellence as well the joy of pushing our limits with a like-minded community.
Do you have a high-quality photo like this?
If so, send it my way, por favor!
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To give you a better idea of the photo I'm looking for, below are a couple paragraphs in the book where I'd like to place a photo.
...Psychology, generally speaking, is what happens between the ears and what we choose to do about it.
Now, let’s discuss sports. What is unique about sports? Sport is an arena to voluntarily push our limits –to see what we’re made of. It’s an avenue to connect to a like-minded community, set goals and pursue dreams. Pursuing dreams gives us meaning, purpose and joy and provides us with the power to persist through the ups and downs. Sport also challenges us to preserve and maintain perspective within our personal pursuit of excellence…step by step, day by day. Sport is an avenue to keep us strong in mind and body –and soul, in my opinion.
Sport psychology, then, is the scientific study, within the context of sport, of how the brain processes experiences and emotions such as anxiety or confidence and how you react to those experiences (i.e., take a step forward or step backward). As an example of these experiences and your reactions to them, imagine a time when you were about to start a competition. Do you remember feeling butterflies in your stomach or your heart racing? How about an increase in the acuity of your senses or even cat-like focus? Did you perceive these emotions as a sign of excitement or nervousness? Depending on how the brain processes bodily sensations and emotions, pre-competition arousal can either allow one to confidently perform or cause one to choke under pressure. In essence, sport psychology is about YOUR perspective of your sporting environment, abilities, limitations, and potential as well as how you process and react to these perspectives.
Sports psychology uses MST as a means to change negative perceptions and emotions into something more positive. As Maslow (1970) said, “If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you’ll be unhappy for the rest of your life.” Consequently, MST can allow an athlete to perceive challenging situations as something to conquer, improve his/her self-confidence, and reduce negative self-talk. MST is meant to develop a champion’s mindset of focus, discipline, passion, commitment, strength and fun. MST can also improve the ability to stay focused in the present moment so mental and physical strengths and skills can be optimized. Thus, MST is about experiencing excellence. The core MST components include: motivation, goal setting, arousal control and stress management, imagery, and self-confidence.
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I look forward to seeing your photos!
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Do you have a friend who would benefit from this information?
Then forward this and share the love.
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Go beyond what you think you are capable of doing!
Contact Chris to see how she can speak to your athletes, coaches, parents, or administration on mental training for sports or wellness. Sessions are in-person, phone, Skype or FaceTime.
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