Self-Sabotage Series – Article 7

Ways which athletes manage to sabotage their competitive successes.

Your mental game may be slowing you down.

Attitudes, mindsets and beliefs that athletes such as runners, cyclists, tri-athletes, swimmers and others take into a race or competition, may often dictate the measure of the desired performance success. If your positive mental approach to racing is somewhat lacking, then it should be easy for you to understand that you may be self-sabotaging the results you are hoping to achieve.

While hard, regular practice is an absolute must - for the dedicated athlete research has shown that the difference between average and great lies mainly in the mind, and not the body.    

If you have aspirations to be an elite athlete in your field, the first step is to make a plan to change your mindset and banish any negative thoughts, which will only cause you to fail.

Poor behaviours which can result in self-sabotage.

Mental toughness and a strong focus is essential for any athlete who wants to reach the top of the game. Unfortunately, many athletes are beset by a negative mindset which prevents them from reaching their full potential.

Here are some ways which may be holding you back.

·      A poor self-image of yourself, which stifles confidence in your ability when you size up the competition.

·      Expectations which are too high can cause you to be frustrated and doubt yourself if you do not reach your pre-race expectations. 

·      Perfectionism is difficult to achieve during competition, but can be useful in training especially if you are goal-directed and want to improve your skills.

·      Experiencing pre-race jitters before the start of a race is absolutely normal. However if you allow the jitters to turn into performance anxiety, it will definitely slow you down.

·      Some athletes tend to blame outside influences or other people when they do not achieve as well as they had hoped they would. This habit can easily put a mental damper on future performances.

·      Many athletes worry about results and outcomes, and whether they will make a mistake during the race that will impact on where they finish. 

·      A fear of failure is a major reason why some athletes do not do as well in competition as they do in training. They are also concerned about what others may think if they don’t achieve as they should.   

No matter how much talent you might possess, or how much experience you may have, if you cannot gain control of your mind, you will not reach the next level of success above the mediocre. There is also a very real danger that you could sink deeper into the mire of self-sabotage, and never quite get out of it.

How to break the self-sabotage habit.

Serious athletes striving for championship titles, as well as those who just want to be the best that they can be in their own particular sporting codes, are always on the lookout for something special that will give them an advantage over competitors. 

Research has proven that you can greatly improve your sports performance with hypnosis. Science has acknowledged that hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, has proved to be very effective in the development of new behavioural habits, positive emotions, and the elimination of self-doubt, by accessing the subconscious mind, which is in essence the master of the conscious mind.

How hypnosis is geared to help you.

Hypnosis has helped many famous athletes improve their performances, attain goals, and reach their dreams of success.

·      You will learn how to focus on your goal before any event, and visualise the burst of energy you will need.

·      Teach you how to control pain when you are under stress, and help you to push through until the end of the race or the game.

·      Instil a positive self-image, and restore as well as enhance, feelings confidence in your abilities.

·      Help to eradicate negative thoughts and emotions which may be holding you back, by changing your mindset from negative to positive.

·      Teach you the skills to visualise successfully reaching your goals.

·      Learn how to control pre-race jitters so that you start off every competition cool and calm.

Studies have shown that many Olympic medallists and renowned top athletes consistently use the power of the mind to achieve and win. While practice is essential for greatness, proper visualisation and the right mindset, are the ingredients that athletes need to stand out in their field.

Conclusion.

Hypnosis and Sports Psychology are not the same thing. But there are experts who agree that combining the two may be a very powerful recipe for athletic success.