The crowd is going wild at Citizens Bank Park! This game could clinch a playoff spot. It’s the bottom of the ninth, tie ball game. Bases are loaded with two outs. Ryan Howard, the winning run, steps up to the plate. He has been in a bad slump lately, so nervousness radiates from the crowd. The first pitch is fouled off behind the plate. The next pitch was a strike-low and outside. Everyone in the crowd is holding their breath! The pitcher releases the ball. Howard strikes out and the slump continues! This may have nothing to do with batting mechanics; it may have everything to do with his “mental game.”
Like Howard, have you ever felt like you were in a slump when it comes to working out? Have you ever hit a wall in your training and felt like you were going nowhere fast? Everyone, at some point in their lives, will hit this wall and feel like they have lost all motivation. Some people hit this wall a lot harder than others, and giving up is often the end result for those who hit the wall the hardest. This is where sport and exercise psychology come in handy!
According to the American Psychological Association, sport and exercise psychology is the study of psychological factors that are associated with performance and participation in exercise, sport and other areas of physical activity. Sport psychologists look at how your mental health influences your performance, and how your participation influences your mental health. There are several techniques that sport and exercise psychologists use to help their clients get out of that slump. The following techniques can be used whenever you feel you are starting to lose your motivation.
The most important technique is goal setting. The first step in goal setting is to make sure you don’t set too many! Studies show that you cannot focus on more than 5-7 things at one time, so try to set 2-3 goals when starting out. The next step is to make sure all of your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound. An example of a goal that has each attribute would be the following: By January 1, 2017, I want to run a 5k in 27 minutes or less. Based on my current fitness level, this goal is definitely attainable and realistic given the training period that I allowed myself. It is also specific in what I want to achieve, as well as measurable and time bound because I gave myself an end date (January 1, 2017).
When setting goals you should also make sure that you write them down in a place that you will always see them! Don’t write them in a planner that you only check once a week. Write your goal on a sticky note and leave it on your bathroom mirror. You want to make sure that you are frequently reviewing your progress to ensure that you complete your goal by the end date. You can also find one person you know that you can share your goal(s) with and will hold you accountable. You are less likely to give up on your goal when someone else is aware of it also. One thing to always remember is that if something, such as an injury, is going to hinder your original goal then make sure you modify instead of just giving up on your goal!
Another technique to use is imagery. Imagery is just like day dreaming; you want to imagine yourself successfully completing your goal. For instance, if you refer back to the goal is to run a 5k in 27 minutes or less, you would imagine yourself running across the finish line with 26:30 showing on the timer. It is very important to make sure your imagery is vivid, realistic and always positive. This is also a great tool because it can be done anytime, anywhere and has been proven to be a great self-confidence booster!
Last, but certainly not least, is practicing positive self-talk. Positive self-talk is something that everyone should do! Positive self-talk consists of replacing all of the negative thoughts or words that you think or say about yourself with positive thoughts or words. For instance, if you are running a race at your own pace and someone comes buzzing by you, you may say something negative or discouraging to yourself because you aren’t running as fast as they are. Instead of beating yourself up for not being as good as the next person, try talking yourself up! You can choose a mantra, something as simple “go, go, go” to “you’ve got this.” If you want to take it further, you can practice multiple scenarios specific to your task than your mantra. For instance, if you are running hills with a group of people, but you are currently in the back of the group, you could say “I’m not out of this because I am a great hill climber.” Once you start to get into the habit of using positive self-talk, you should tie in imagery with it as well by using your mantras in your vivid thoughts to make it a more powerful experience. This will change your outlook while you are performing your task without you even thinking about it!
These are only a few of the many ways you can keep yourself motivated. Staying motivated is sometimes more than half of the battle. Setting goals, imagining yourself achieving them and using positive self-talk are not only used with exercise, but they can be applied to any area of your life. Always remember “It’s all in your head!”