Harnessing Emotions to Maximize Performance

Emotions are a powerful force in sports, both during practice and competition, and in life. Traditionally people believe that only positive emotions like excitement, confidence, and determination can enhance performance, while negative emotions like anxiety, fear, and frustration have the potential to hinder it. All emotions are valuable and with a thoughtful approach and focus on the mental performance aspect of the game, both comfortable AND uncomfortable emotions can be harnessed to maximize performance. Understanding the role of emotions and how to harness their power is crucial for athletes, parents, and coaches alike.

Transcript

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I'm Dr. Nassim Ebrahimi, and welcome to Becoming My Stronger Me, a podcast designed to help you become stronger in mind, body, and heart. In season two, the mental performance series, we'll explore the intricate relationship between mental performance, sports excellence, leadership, and personal growth to help you become your stronger you. Welcome to another episode in the mental performance series of the Becoming My Stronger Me podcast. In the series, we've heard some incredible athletes, coaches, and entrepreneurs reflect on their journeys and the importance of mental performance in maximizing their success. In each, they share their reflections on the emotions and what it felt like to compete. Emotions are a powerful force in sports, both during practice and in competition. Traditionally, people believe that only positive emotions like excitement, confidence, and determination can enhance performance, while negative emotions like anxiety, fear, and frustration have the potential to hinder it. As athletes, we're often told to quote, stop thinking that way or think positive. Neither are helpful. All emotions are valuable, and with a thoughtful approach and focus on the mental performance aspect of the game, both comfortable and uncomfortable emotions can be harnessed to maximize performance. Understanding the role of emotions and how to harness their power is crucial for athletes, parents, and coaches alike. So let's first begin with the power of positive emotions. Positive emotions are a game changer in sports. They can boost confidence, enhance focus, and improve overall performance. Here are some key strategies for athletes to harness the power of positive emotions. Let's start with visualization. In a previous episode, I talked about the power of visualization. By mentally rehearsing successful performances, athletes can build confidence and focus on positive outcomes rather than dwelling on the potential failures. Coaches and parents can encourage athletes to visualize success. Positive self-talk. The way athletes talk to themselves can have a significant impact on their performance. It's important for us to encourage athletes to use positive self-talk to boost their confidence and maintain that positive mindset, especially during challenging moments. As you know from past episodes, I'm a huge fan of leveraging mindfulness and relaxation techniques and routines as part of regular training and preparation. So introduce your athletes to mindfulness and relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and of course, visualization exercises. These techniques can help athletes stay calm, focused, and fully present during competition, allowing them to perform at their best. These kinds of strategies, when incorporated into pre-competition or pre-game routines, can make a huge difference in an athlete's mental preparedness and performance. Help athletes develop pre-competition routines that include these kinds of positive affirmations, visualization, and relaxation techniques. And consistent routines can really help athletes get into the right mindset before competition and perform at their peak. So it is important for them to even practice their pre-game rituals before they practice. Not only can these techniques be used to harness the power of positive emotions, they're also effective in leveraging uncomfortable emotions and channeling the power of these uncomfortable emotions into increased focus, motivation, and determination. Here are some additional strategies for harnessing the power of negative emotions. Start with identifying the triggers. Help athletes identify what triggers their negative emotions, whether it's fear of failure, pressure from coaches or parents, or even self-doubt. Once they recognize these triggers, they can develop strategies for managing them effectively. We also want to help athletes to reframe negative thoughts into more positive ones and more productive ones and focus on solutions rather than problems. For example, instead of thinking, I'm gonna fail or we're gonna lose, they can reframe it to, I'll do my best and learn from this experience, regardless of the outcome. How can athletes use negative emotions to fuel success? It's important for us to encourage athletes to channel the negative emotions into more positive energy and motivation to succeed. Instead of letting their fear or frustration hold them back, they can use these emotions to stay more present, to push harder, and to strive for greatness. Coaches and parents play a crucial role in helping athletes regulate their emotions and maximize their performance. However, there are some common mistakes that both coaches and parents often make that can have a negative impact on athletes. For example, putting too much pressure on athletes to perform can be a huge mistake. Research has shown that excessive pressure from coaches can lead to increased anxiety and decreased performance. Focusing solely on outcomes can be problematic. Coaches and parents who only focus on winning or losing can create a very negative and stressful environment for athletes. Some coaches and parents inadvertently neglect the emotional needs of their athletes and they really do risk damaging the confidence and their motivation. Additionally, parents can, well, let's admit it, we can be overinvolved. And let me just say I am a reformed, overinvolved parent. I'm still very involved. But the kind of involvement has shifted. Parents who are overly involved in their child sport, they comment on every little thing, every little thing in practice, every game, every movement. They want to talk about it all the time and analyze it all the time, can create added stress and pressure for their child. Especially parents who focus too much on the outcomes rather than the process of development. Parents who only focus on winning and losing can inadvertently contribute to their child's fear of failure and performance anxiety. So, what can we as parents, and what are some tips for some coaches, to best support their athletes? First and foremost, it is our job to encourage athletes to do their best while providing them unconditional support and encouragement. We want to make sure that we emphasize the importance of effort and learning and improvement rather than just winning and losing. We need to be able to create an environment where athletes feel comfortable expressing their emotions and seeking support when needed. We also need to be mindful that it's our job to lead by example. As coaches and parents, we should be modeling positive behavior and attitudes, including resilience and perseverance and that growth mindset. How we talk about a game or our athlete or other athletes or the coach or what we do or say when we cheer on the sidelines can have a huge impact on the athletes, whether we realize it or not. So let's work to come from a place of support and encouragement. After all, that's our role on the team. By providing athletes with the support and guidance they need to regulate their emotions effectively, coaches and parents can help them maximize their performance and achieve their goals. Let's face it, emotions are a natural part of life and sports. And learning to harness their power can make all the difference in an athlete's performance. By understanding the role of emotions, implementing strategies to manage them effectively, and providing athletes with the support they need, coaches and parents can help athletes reach their full potential. Until next time, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast, join our Facebook group, send in your stories and feedback. And if you're looking for a mental performance coach or want more information, go to www.becoming my strongerme.com. I can't wait to hear from you.