4 exercises from sports psychology you can use in everyday life.
Athletes use sports psychologists to perform at their best.
Here are 4 exercises you can start practicing today in your everyday life.
1. Break big goals down into small goals.
Think in steps, like when giving directions - get to the end of the road then turn right. Or walk into the room with confidence, prepare your materials and present with clarity.
2. Practice positive self-talk
When we tell ourselves "I'm not good at x thing", we're priming ourselves to not perform at our best. Flip the script and and get into a growth mindset.
Mo Farah has talked about limiting beliefs before he became a world champion. “I always wanted to win but in your head some part of you thinks: ‘He’s better than me, he’s better than me,’ so you put yourself in third or fourth.” He’s used positive self-talk to improve his confidence.
In the Tokyo Olympics, Swedish discus athlete, Daniel Ståhl, yelled “I am a Swedish Viking! Aaaah!” to himself seconds before a throw.
3. Visualise the process & outcomes
Win it in your mind first, then win it in reality! Build on your self-talk & goals by seeing yourself achieving them.
This is, unsurprisingly, our favourite technique at Remap. Michael Phelps was a master at visualising. He would see mentally rehearse every scenario and how he would respond in his mind. When things went wrong in reality, he instinctively knew what to do and how to respond with confidence.
Bonus tip: really tap into your emotions when visualising.
4. Use relaxation techniques
Calm the nervous system down for clarity in key moments using breathwork and mindfulness techniques.
Try taking a double inhale followed by a long out breath. It’s a fantastic technique that get more air in your body and resets your nervous system.
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