Mental Preparation for High Performance in Sports: How Sports Psychology can help
Introduction
What is one sports psychology mental skill every athlete should learn?
Without a doubt, it has to do with getting one’s mind ready to play. That means getting into the zone, putting all distractions aside, and playing at one’s best. That’s easier said than done, right? Sadly, many athletes are not properly trained to master their mental game. Because of that, highly talented athletes will underperform due to performance anxiety or poor emotional regulation during a game. In this article, we are hoping to address this problem. We will discuss some of the most popular sports psychology techniques that athletes can use to mentally prepare for the game ahead and bring their best selves to the field—interested in how you can do that too? Keep on reading!
The benefits of mental preparation according to sports psychology
Imagine that you’re an elite athlete and have the most important game of your life. But you simply enter it after you just had a terrible argument with your girlfriend. You are frustrated, unfocused, and barely present. Could you truly sustain an outstanding performance in that emotional state?
Probably not.
Just like you warm up your body and stretch every muscle before a competition, you also need to warm up your mind. Otherwise, you enter a game while still connected to the worries and stresses of your usual life, which leaves you little mental energy to actually focus on the game. But this is where the importance of sports psychology comes in: it shows us that mental training and preparation are crucial for optimal performance.
Therefore, the benefits of mental preparation are clear:
- It helps the athlete switch off from usual problems
- It brings the athlete into the present moment, which improves their concentration
- It acts as a mental warm-up, getting the athlete into competitive spirits
- It reminds the athlete of their role in the competition, which is different from other roles they have
To mentally prepare for a competition, there are several sports psychology mental skills you can cultivate. We’ll discuss them in the following paragraphs.
How to mentally prepare with sports psychology techniques
Mental preparation should begin even with several days before the competition. It should start with the physical training itself, which helps the athlete feel prepared on a skill level. But the training also acts as a primer for the competitive environment. It helps the athlete find their drive and motivation and tune into their competitive nature.
Physical preparation
While you are training and refining your skills and techniques, make sure to use that time and already start connecting to the moment of the competition. This helps your brain register that an important moment is approaching soon.
The pre-game preparation should include some relaxation aspects, too.
First of all, ensure that you are getting enough sleep, so that both your brain and body are properly rested.
However, many of you will find that those pre-game days are also very stressful. This is where you should use sports psychology relaxation techniques such as:
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Breathing exercises
- Visualising yourself in a safe space
- Talking to a trusted friend or mental health professional
- Or simply having some time off doing something you enjoy
Prioritizing rest is the foundation of your mental preparation for high performance. Trying to optimize your focus, concentration, or motivation is very difficult when you are sleep-deprived or when you are physically and mentally fatigued.
Leverage your stress levels
According to sports psychology, performance anxiety is very common among athletes. On the days leading up to the competition, you might already start feeling nervous and anxious. This is quite normal. In a way, your brain is getting ready for something important and it does that by mobilizing your stress response. You should not be scared if you feel more anxious than usual. What matters the most is how you manage this anxiety and how you channel your stress into the best possible outcome.
If you can, use some sports psychology relaxation techniques to regulate your emotions. For example, write down your thoughts, visualize yourself being calm and grounded, or work out to release stress from your body.
Use those relaxation practices regularly so that you don’t keep adding more stress as the game approaches. Remember that the more relaxed and confident you are, the better you will perform!
Boost self-confidence
The majority of the sports psychology strategies for improving performance include a confidence element. Why is that? In sports, feeling confident in your skills is crucial. It impacts how you perform, how you deal with those moments of frustration, and even the outcome itself.
This is why another aspect you should work on as part of your mental preparation is your self-confidence. According to sports psychology, winning mentality can be cultivated by believing in yourself and trusting that you can win. That’s exactly what you should tell yourself in the days leading up to your game.
Pay attention to how you speak to yourself during those days. Every thought you have will influence
your confidence level on the competition day, so make sure to surround yourself with positive and supportive people.
Another sports psychology tip is to write down all your achievements and moments you are proud of.
Get help from a performance coach
Don’t go through those pre-game moments alone. If possible, get help from a coach or sports psychologist for performance. They can help you with personalized tips you can apply to get in the best mental shape and boost your confidence and self-talk. You might want to find a sports psychologist for professional athletes who is very familiar with the pressure associated with games.
Mental preparation right before the game
Once you’ve used all the sports psychology advice to prepare yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally, it’s time to use those exact tips right before the game begins.
Use imagery to visualize your best self
One of the most efficient mental training practices used by elite athletes and high performers is visualization. It’s a sports psychology technique that entails that you are bringing to mind an image of your desired state of mind, and you connect with that state until it becomes natural to you. The brain cannot tell the difference between imagination and reality, so even if your confident state of mind is just an imagined one in the beginning, your mind will learn how this state feels. Over time, once you access this confident state again and again, you will begin to feel and act like a confident person. Mental performance in sports is directly impacted by confidence, so this practice is a must if you want to overcome performance anxiety.
Use a keyword
Sports psychology theories also advise athletes to use a keyword they associate with their best performance. For you, it could be a word, sentence, or phrase you associate with one of your best performances. Bring to mind a moment when you felt truly powerful and choose a word for it. Now use visualisation practices while repeating this word to yourself to create a strong association between the word and those successful moments.
Final Thoughts
We hope that after reading this article, you are way more aware of the importance of sports psychology mental preparation techniques. As you can see, preparing the mind is just as important as warming your body up before a game. We aimed to provide you with some guidance on what you can do in the days and moments before a competition to perform at your absolute best. Do start this preparation routine as early as you can — but do not overthink it! If you try too hard to calm your nerves, you might get the opposite effect. So relax, take care of your mind and body, ask for help, and use some mental preparation techniques. You will be unstoppable!