In sports, a cricket batsman many times tells himself not to strike out before an at-bat, especially when they
are in a collapse and not hitting well. Has this happened to you? Have you told yourself not to do something in sport, and when it happens? Well, you are not alone. The absence of mental toughness is the main enemy of athletes. Missing mental toughness causes athletes to give up, give in, and give less. The amount of your athletic success is in direct proportion to your level of mental toughness. To be mentally tough, you must be ready to do what most athletes don’t do. Some athletes do have a nature to be more mentally tough than others, such as athletes who have managed adversity in their lives and are used to rebounding. Surviving with adversity is a part of mental toughness. Mental toughness is an attitude and attitudes are created by you.
Mental strength requires a strong approach to the challenges in your sport on a regular basis. You need to
consistently focus, train, and grow your mental toughness habit. It is like your fitness level, the more you train, the more fit you become. When you stop training your fitness level slides back.
MEDITATION
Someone who’s played a sport knows the main hurdle that stands in the way of success is what’s going on
inside of our heads. Stress on-field thinking about our past mistakes or a lack of focus, can damage athletic
performance. Meditation is the most effective method to not only relieve stress, anxiety and rebuild health in athletes but also help them deal with the ever- changing situation in a contest. By practicing meditation that develops visualizations, athletic strength can be increased.
DIET
Diet is the fuel that can enhance athletic performance. Eating good food can help provide the energy you need to finish a race, or just enjoy a casual sport or activity. If you want to get the most out of your athletic potential, your diet should be a priority in your fitness efforts. Athletes burn out energy through exercise and training, you need to replenish those lost nutrients, which can be done by choosing the right foods. Here are some of the foods that can enhance athletic performance.
Egg is one of the favorite foods of athletes and they provide a high level of protein.
Fish is full of lean, muscle-building protein and omega- 3 fatty acids, which reduces the inflammation that can happen with constant athletic activity.
Sportspersons require high-performance muscles, white meat like chicken, promotes muscle development, maintains our muscles, and helps in recovery. Chicken has proteins of high nutritional value with an excellent amino acid content, hence its interest in sports performance.
WORKOUTS
A workout or physical fitness is directly related to sports performance, enhances strength and endurance. A physically fit athlete is likely to perform better in their sport. For athletes, workouts are methods through which they can keep their body in optimal shape to perform their best.
CONCLUSION
Practice mental strength daily, consciously choose how you will respond to tough events. Mental toughness comes down to your habits, and your habits are up to you. Remember that mental toughness is about winning the small struggles each day.
Use mental picture or what we sometimes call imagery, where people visualize themselves in different scenarios in their minds. They might picture themselves performing really well in a competition before they go into that competition just to help increase their confidence.
LIFE SKILLS THROUGH SPORTS
Research has shown that people who take part in sports are less likely to drop out of school or involve in drugs and alcohol activity; on the contrary, they excel in academics and civility. Sports build skills such as teamwork, leadership, and responsibility as they learn to work with others to achieve a common goal. The youth face competition in school, the workplace, and their personal lives, sports activity brings in good sportsmanship, and that trying your best will often create the mental toughness to solve life’s problems too. Psychological resilience; is built out of sports through the highs and lows as well as wins and losses.
You can’t expect to be emotionally tough in championship moments if you are not working on stretching your mental toughness muscle behind the scenes. By setting a game plan, being conscious of what you’re going to do, gives a sense of control so people know what’s going to happen. Keep in mind that you are building a fire, and every day you should train and add more fuel so that at the right moment you light the match.
Use methods like positive self-talks where people say positive phrases to themselves. Self-talk like “This is my day.” So, repeating that phrase to yourself can help you get into a confident frame of mind to psyche you up for competition.
We often use sports as a comparison for life which reminds me of this famous basketball player: “I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan