Lockdown Series: The Last One
Adapting to a New Norm: Mental Housekeeping
GOALS/PURPOSE?
- Long-term goals can be set more specifically in detail with timelines and specific mental images. For example, “I win a gold medal at the 2021 Olympic games”. Although these goals are long- term they are specific and foster purpose in your shorter term goals.
- During a crisis, like in lockdown where training changes radically, short term general goals keep you focused on the process of training needed to emerge out of this time strong, or stronger than before, mentally and physically. Hence, short term challenges can be set for yourself daily or weekly, which will keep your eye on the longer term prize or goal.
- Set a short term mental and physical goal for lockdown. For example “my mental goal is to begin my day with my visualization routine for 10 minutes”. “My physical goal is to improve my speed and strength by scheduling speed and strength drills 5 days per week”.
- Write down your goals/intentions as if they are being achieved in the present, for example, another one could be “Each day I integrate one activity that is fun or relaxing”, for example, dancing to music as part of my warm up.
- Write down the action steps that will ensure that your intentions or short-term goals will be integrated into your training routine. Also include how you can make these actions more exciting and enjoyable.
- Each week, revisit the intentions/goals that you have set and written down. Reflect on the week and check what you did well and what needs more quality attention for the next day.
HOW YOU RESPOND TO INTERNAL/EXTERNAL CONFLICT IS THE KEY
- In uncertain conditions with unfamiliar constraints, negative thoughts and feelings can easily dominate. This too can happen during competitions in intense pressure situations. Dealing with you negative emotion, your little me is ongoing, just more intense in times of crises and when there is “So Much Space To Think” (Link to Article 1)
4. RISKING A CHANGE
- In article 2 “Steps to Feeling Motivated and Taking Action” (provide link) I spoke of setting a flexible routine for work/school, mental and physical training, as well rest and relaxation. Initially it may have served as your accountability chart, but now it may be just laborious! The period of sport-not-as-usual may be longer then we all expect. It is therefore critical to add some spice to both your physical and mental training.
- Take a step back and revaluate your schedule. Add more challenges if it is not intense enough, add more rest if you are feeling physically exhausted, copy training videos of other experts in your sport, and attempt to include other people to train with you where possible, either online or at a safe physical distance.
- Ensure that you keeping up with connecting to family and friends and filling your day with things you enjoy; reading or upskilling, listening to music and podcasts, dancing, other recreational sports, social media, Netflix, cooking, playing online games and board games. For you to thrive in this time as a high performer being deliberate with what fills you with energy and enjoyment is crucial.
THE POWER OF MENTAL PRACTISE:
- One of the most important exercises in sports psychology, as well as reality construction, is the powerful workings of visualisation and your imagination. There are many documented experiments demonstrating that the mind and body do not know the difference between what we see in reality and what we see in our mind’s eye. It is easy to figure this out by experimenting with imagining that you are biting in to the fruit of a juicy lemon, sucking in the sour juice, and feeling how your saliva is activated from its sourness, even though this is happening only in your mind. Notice, how your digestive process responds as if you were eating the lemon in reality. This famous experiment illustrates how you can trick your mind in to activating a positive bodily response or the opposite. Experiment with positive images in your mind and conversely, negative ones. The more time you spend visualising either scenario the more your emotions and your body will respond accordingly. Notice; how you could create ecstasy or terror depending on what you indulge in your mind.
- It is clear from the above that spending time visualising perfect aspects of your performance or whole performances will arouse your motivation and can effect positive changes in your future performances. Be deliberate with what you want to work on and treat your training in your mind as you would, your actual training in reality. Start small with 5 to 10 minutes a day and see how much you can build on that daily to eventually even twice per day. Most importantly have fun playing perfectly in your mind as if you were in the zone/flow state.
- Invest in mental performance training and you will surprise yourself after Lockdown!
7. THE MAGIC INGREDIENTS IN GOAL ACHIEVEMENT
According to the most influential specialists globally in GOAL ACHIEVEMENT, the two most important qualities needed to manifest anything from feeling motivated, to the executing of perfect performance, to winning at anything are INTENTION AND ATTENTION.
- INTENTION is the desire with mind, body, and emotion to achieve a particular goal.
- ATTENTION is focused awareness on any sensory or mental experience or action without judgement, in order to move in an aligned direction toward your goal.
- Champions are very clear about what their intentions are and have them alive in their minds. Clear Intentions (goals) drive your Attention. Whatever you pay Attention to will grow and carry the momentum needed to achieve whatever Intention/goal you have set. Therefore as mentioned in Step One, write down your Intentions/goals for the day, or week or month and revisit them daily, ticking off the actions you set in your schedule, and pay attention to each segment of your schedule with quality.
The simple process of setting your INTENTION and paying ATTENTION without judgment, will work for perfecting a particular type of shot, or movement in your particular sport. Setting your Intentions during this Lockdown and paying Attention without judgement, will certainly also work for living through lockdown with joy and inspiration, and coming out of this time expanded and developed in more than just sport!
SELF TALK
In Conclusion
Champion Athletes have learned from their Specialist Support Teams, as well as their own experience of what works over years of thriving under constant change and intense pressure. Build your own internal support team and attempt to integrate this self-created team by utilising the resources you have at your disposal. Attempt to make connections in cyberspace with those who can contribute to your Champion Specialist Team. Make a commitment to grow as a Whole Champion by acknowledging your little me (negativity) and use your routine and mental tools you have used during peak performances when your GREAT ME (positivity) was dominating. Use Lockdown as the impetus to start honing the two essentials of what creates Champions, a Specialist Support Team, and a Mental Toughness Regimen, in spite of and because of the surrounding intense pressurising and stressful conditions.
Take charge of your safety and health, take in all that motivates and strengthens you, spread healing language and vibes to your family and the community you are immersed in. Take ownership of conquering Lady Corona Covid the 19th!
- TOOLS TO SHIFT MOMENTUM: These tools can be used on and off your particular sports arena. Play around with these tools when you are feeling unsettled, anxious, and even demotivated (little me):
- Breathe: Every GREAT Champion breathes during some part of their performance. Breathing deeply with long outbreaths calms your nervous system. It also gives you the space to get some perspective. The key to breathing is taking a sometime to do it until you notice your mind and body calm.
- Move: any movement begins a chemical reaction in your body, which quickly shifts your mood. As an athlete, ensue that your physical routine is a balance of endurance, speed and flexibility.. The combination has a balancing effect on your body and mind. Do as much as you can outside in the fresh air.
- Fun: What can you do now or add to your routine that makes this time fun. It can be a challenge with your peers to spice up your motivation in your sport, or it can be a new hobby that you never had time for before.
- Music: Any time your little me emerges, notice what the magic of music can do. Relaxing music with lower your arousal/anaziety levels and upbeat, dance music will elevate your arousal/excitement levels.
Meditate: This is the ultimate exercise for calming and cleaning your mind of negativity or your little me. Even if you are not a season meditator, sportspeople can meditate better than most as they are practiced on focusing on their performance routines. Choose one aspect of your sport, for example the ball, one stroke, one movement, or even one sound and try focusing on it for