Mental training is a new way of working on developing one's potential. Besides being an excellent complement to physical training, it's also ideal for every athlete. Mindset is a highly individual matter. Sometimes, it can be difficult to understand our own behavior, especially under stress and strain. Sport is an area where working on mentality is particularly important.
Mental training is based on knowledge from many fields, including sports psychology, positive psychology, coaching, kinesiology, and quantum physics. Those involved in both sports and sports psychology completely agree that we have approached the limits of human performance in technical, tactical, and physical preparation. The only place where anyone setting athletic goals can seek an advantage over their rivals is in the mental realm. Furthermore, a growing number of athletes and coaches agree that success in sports is 70-80% psychological and mental.
Mental training involves engaging our mental resources, such as memory, imagination, speech, thought, and perception, to improve specific areas of our behavior. This form of exercise is used to improve areas such as acquiring new skills, maintaining and strengthening existing ones, mental warm-up, analyzing performance, managing stress, problem-solving, building self-confidence, recovering from injuries and strenuous training, and even increasing muscle strength.
There is a very interesting relationship between our body and mind, which has a determining influence on the results we achieve:
– if our body is capable of doing something, and our mind thinks it is not ready for it yet or is afraid of it, then our mind will sabotage our actions and do everything to prevent them from being successful;
– if the mind thinks it is ready to take action, but our body does not yet feel up to it, there is a good chance that sooner or later we will be able to complete a given task, because the body will want to adjust to our mind (the internal image, the vision we have created) and will start to achieve the goals that are already in our head;
– if both the body and mind are ready, then you will definitely be able to complete a specific task.
How to train?
Training seems very simple, but it's the mind, not the body, that's at work. A few crucial steps will get your mind on the right track. Remember:
– Setting goals . It's very important that we know exactly where we're going.
– Visualization. It's a wonderful feeling when we see ourselves on the podium. We instantly forget about the effort and any obstacles!
– Self-talk. The internal dialogue we conduct in our heads can be positive or negative, and therefore helpful or harmful. That's why a positive attitude is so important.
– Stress management. All relaxation techniques are welcome – from walking to yoga. Anything that calms our nerves will work. Stress consumes a significant portion of our energy.
Despite the many benefits of mental training, we still don't train our minds as often as we train our muscles, technique, or tactics. This is a shame, because beyond our bodies, our minds also work, allowing us to celebrate every success but also bear the burden of failure. Or perhaps it's our minds that do the most work?
