The Off-Season

Many athletes use the off-season to rest and physically recharge, which is essential. But just as critical—and often overlooked—is using this time to build mental resilience, focus, and confidence. By dedicating time to mental performance training in the off-season, athletes can return to their sport with a stronger mindset, ready to tackle new challenges and reach their full potential.

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. Today we're focusing on the importance of mental performance training during the off-season. Many athletes use the off-season to rest and physically recharge, which is essential. But just as critical and often overlooked is using this time to build mental resilience, focus, and confidence. By dedicating time to mental performance training in the off-season, athletes can return to their sport with a stronger mindset, ready to tackle new challenges and reach their full potential. So why does mental performance training matter in the off-season? The off-season is traditionally seen as a time for physical rest and recovery, but it's also a unique opportunity to strengthen mental skills without the pressure of competition. Research in sports psychology shows that athletes who engage in mental performance training during their off-season tend to perform better when the season starts up again. They exhibit better focus, reduced anxiety, and improved resilience when they encounter setbacks. Why? Because mental training is just like physical training. It requires regular practice to build and maintain strength. When athletes train their minds in the off-season, they're able to develop skills like goal setting, visualization, self-talk, and emotional regulation in a focused, low pressure environment. This dedicated time allows them to reinforce these skills so that when they're back in the competitive season, mental performance becomes second nature. Think about it this way: an athlete who only focuses on their physical skills in the off-season may start the season in top shape physically, but could lack the mental readiness needed to perform consistently under pressure. A balanced off-season that includes both physical and mental training prepares an athlete to be both strong and mentally resilient. Let's take a look at some essential mental performance skills athletes can work on during the off-season. By intentionally training these areas, athletes can set a foundation that will benefit them throughout the competitive season. Let's start with goal setting and planning. Setting goals is foundational to both personal and athletic growth. The offseason is the perfect time to revisit your goals, reflect on past performances, and set new intentions. Research shows that athletes who set clear, actionable goals are more motivated and committed to their training. Start by setting SMART goals, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timebound. For example, instead of saying, I want to be faster, you could say, I want to reduce my sprint time by half a second in the next two months. Break your goals down into smaller steps and create a weekly plan to track your progress. This clear goal setting process helps you stay focused and gives you a sense of purpose as you work toward each goal. Let's talk about visualization and imagery. Visualization or mental rehearsal is a powerful tool for athletes, and I talk about this in other episodes. By visualizing yourself successfully performing skills and achieving goals, you're training your brain to be prepared for actual performance. Research shows that visualization can activate the same neural pathways in the brain as physical practice, improving skill retention and readiness. So, what can you do? Dedicate time each week to visualize different aspects of your sport. Picture yourself performing specific movements, staying calm under pressure, and even recovering from setbacks. Engage all of your senses. See the environment, hear the sounds, feel the sensations in your body. Consistent visualization sessions during the off season help build confidence and familiarity with high-stakes scenarios, making you feel mentally prepared and resilient. Let's talk about self-talk and building confidence. The way you talk to yourself plays a significant role in your confidence and your performance. Positive self-talk, reinforcing thoughts like I am prepared or I can handle this, can boost your resilience and help you stay focused during competition. On the flip side, negative self-talk can create self-doubt and interfere with performance. So what can you do in the offseason? During the off-season, work on identifying and replacing negative self-talk with constructive, empowering statements. Practice this daily, perhaps while doing drills or even in non-sport activities. Write down affirmations or phrases that resonate with you and review them regularly. Building a habit of positive self-talk during the off season will make it easier to stay mentally strong and focused during your games. Now let's talk about emotional regulation and stress management. The ability to manage stress and control emotions is crucial for peak performance. Stress is often a big part of competition, and learning to regulate your emotions in the off-season can give you an edge when things get intense. Athletes who manage their stress levels effectively can focus better, make quicker decisions, and bounce back faster from mistakes. So, what can you do in the off-season? Practice stress management techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and progressive muscle relaxation. Schedule time each week to engage in relaxation exercises, even every day, focusing on breathing and calming your mind. Another helpful technique is journaling, where you can reflect on your emotions, identify their triggers, and work through stressful thoughts. These practices can help you remain calm and centered when you return to competition. Resilience and growth mindset are super important to cultivate in the off-season. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, while a growth mindset is the belief that you can develop skills and abilities through effort. Training resilience and a growth mindset in the off-season can set the foundation for handling challenges and staying motivated throughout the season. For example, each week of your offseason, reflect on a past challenge or mistake and consider what you learned from it. Practice reframing setbacks as opportunities for growth. For instance, instead of thinking, I failed at that skill or I can't do that, shift your mindset to I'm learning, and with practice, I'll improve. Surround yourself with positive influences and focus on stories of athletes who've overcome adversity. Embracing this mindset in the off-season builds mental toughness that you can rely on during high pressure situations. So, how can we create an off-season mental training plan? We've covered the key mental skills. Now let's talk about creating a structured mental training plan for the off-season. Like a physical workout schedule, a mental training plan can help you be consistent and focused in your goals. I'm going to give you some examples here, and we'll start with a weekly mental performance routine. Let's start with a goal setting session. Every, for example, Sunday, spend 10 to 15 minutes reviewing and setting your weekly goals. Reflect on what you achieved last week, any obstacles you faced, and what you want to accomplish in the week ahead. For visualization, schedule at least two 10-minute sessions or two five-minute sessions each week. Pick different scenarios to mentally rehearse. Some days might focus on technical skills, while others might emphasize handling pressure or making quick decisions. For my athletes, I highly recommend taking the time to do visualization every day. But in the offseason, at least two times a week can get you started. In terms of the self-talk reflection, spend a few minutes each day, perhaps in the morning or before training, focusing on positive self-talk. Write down empowering statements, maybe even I am statements, and review them before you start your workout or practice. For stress management, dedicate 10 to 15 minutes, two, three, four times a week, or even every day to do mindfulness, to engage in deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation. You could also keep a journal to track your thoughts and emotions throughout the week. And for resilience reflection, at the end of each week, take a few minutes to reflect on a challenging moment or setback you encountered that week. Write it down. Write what you learned and how you're going to use that experience to grow. And in the offseason, at the end of each month, evaluate your progress as a whole. Ask yourself questions like: Have I improved my focus or confidence? How effectively am I managing stress? Are there areas where I need to improve my mindset or my resilience? Use these kinds of reflections to adjust your mental training plan for the upcoming month. And this continuous adjustment ensures you're making meaningful progress and staying engaged with your goals. You're always welcome to get in touch with me, and I'm happy to help you create a much more personalized training plan based on the goals you're set and based on where you are and where you'd like to be. Just like any other kind of training, mental performance training, whether in season or off-season, is based on staying consistent. Staying consistent with mental training in the off-season can be challenging, especially without the immediate pressure of competition. So here are some tips to help you stay on track. Treat it like physical training. Schedule mental training sessions just as you would your physical workouts. Again, consistency is key here, and building mental skills requires regular practice. Find yourself an accountability partner. Share your goals with a teammate or a friend and check in on each other's progress. Having someone to share the journey with can help keep you motivated and committed. And if you can't find a teammate, you can rely on coaches for this. I myself have lots of athletes that are at a place, especially during their off season, where they meet with me solely for the purposes of accountability. Next thing, the next tip I have for you is to celebrate small wins. Recognize and reward yourself for progress, no matter how small. Celebrating your achievements reinforces the importance of mental training and encourages you to keep going. Another tip here is actually in using one of the strategies. Visualize your why. Regularly remind yourself why you're dedicating time to mental performance training. Visualize the benefits. How will this help you perform better? How is it going to help you feel more confident? How is it going to help you handle challenges in the upcoming season? When you have a clear vision of why mental training matters, it's easier to stay consistent. Let's just take a moment here to talk about the long-term benefits of off-season mental training. Training your mind in the off-season does more than just prepare you for next season. The skills you build, such as resilience, focus, and emotional control, extend beyond sports and extend beyond competition. These can benefit you in your academics, in your relationships, in your future career challenges. Athletes who engage in mental performance training often experience greater self-confidence, increased self-discipline, and better stress management skills, which contribute to a much more well-rounded and balanced life. So please remember that the off-season is not just for physical recovery. It's a prime time to build mental strength. By dedicating time to mental performance training, you're setting yourself up for a season where you can face any challenge with confidence, resilience, and focus. 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.