Sports Psychology: 10 Mental Skills To Enhance Your Performance Part 1
Many people believe that excelling in sports is a purely physical journey, but elite athletes know that mental prowess is every bit as important as having a physical edge when it comes to performing at peak levels. Here at Endurance Swimming, we strive to bring you all sorts of different information to help you improve both in and out of the water. It is for that reason that we teamed up with sports psychologist, Dr. Dave McIntyre , to bring you this two part series on mental skills to enhance your performance no matter your sport! Get ready to reach your maximum potential by incorporating Dr. McIntyre’s mental skills into your training! Here we go:
Growth Mindset
"Growth mindset" is a term coined by Stanford University psychology professor Dr. Carol Dweck. Mindsets are the assumptions and expectations we have for ourselves and others. These attitudes guide our behavior and influence our responses to daily events.
According to Dr. Dweck, success is not determined by innate talents and intellect. Rather, success depends upon mindset – the degree to which we believe we have the capacity to cultivate our intelligence and grow our abilities.
People who hold a growth mindset believe that they are always learning, always able to improve upon their current abilities to improve their performance in various settings.
Those with a Fixed Mindset believe that their basic abilities, intelligence, and talents are fixed traits. They think that you are born with a certain amount of talent and that's all you have. For more information on growth mindset, check out this great resource!
Grit
According University of Pennsylvania Professor Angela Duckworth, grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals. One way to think about grit is to consider what grit isn’t.
Grit isn’t talent or luck or how intensely you want something. Instead, grit is about having what some researchers call an ”ultimate concern”–a goal you care about so much that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do.
Grit is holding steadfast to that goal. Even when you fall down. Even when you screw up. Even when progress toward that goal is halting or slow.
Grit often is the difference between an average athlete and one who excels. This trait is what causes an athlete to refuse to skip practice, to do something fun with friends or family, what keeps them from giving up when setbacks get them down, and what keeps them focused on their goals.
Mental Toughness
Mental toughness is another essential ingredient in the recipe for success. Those who develop mental toughness have the ability to take challenging training situations and highly competitive situations in stride.
They don't allow themselves to become distracted from their goals and have an inner self-belief that propels them through the ups and downs of being dedicated to a competitive sport without giving into internal or external pressure.
A mentally tough athlete overcomes self-doubt and worry by nurturing an amazing focus on excelling at his or her chosen sport, carrying on through adversity, and keeping setbacks in the proper perspective rather than letting them become overwhelming.
Positive Psychology
Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania Martin Seligman is considered to be the founder of Positive Psychology, which is the scientific study of human achievement. Positive psychology is based on the premise that certain factors promote an internal environment that allows individuals to flourish.
These factors include positive experiences that nurture self-esteem, positive personal traits, and a positive support system from family, schools, coaches, and the community in general. Dr. Seligman believes that a positive attitude can be learned and that authentic happiness is accessible to everyone.
The athlete who, when confronted by a challenging scenario, considers this challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow rather than a threat is the athlete more likely to grow in their craft. Opportunity thinking as compared to threat thinking will get you to the next level in your performance.
Opportunity Thinking
A person who engages in opportunity thinking focuses on constructive ways of dealing with challenging situations. By contrast, a person who engages in obstacle thinking focuses on reasons to give up and retreat from problems. Research has shown that the opportunity thinker will try harder and look for creative options. When COVID hit our professional athlete clients’ reacted in various ways, some to extremes. Some ended their careers prematurely, some succumbed to the stressors of change, and some used this as an opportunity to get ahead of their peers!
Come Back For Part 2!
We hope you found these tips helpful. If you did, there is good news! This is only part 1 of a 2 part sport psychology series with mental tips and tricks to take your performance to the next level. Once you have a good feel for these 5 tips move on to part 2!
Successful swims are built with Endurance!
About The Author: Dr. Dave McIntyre
Dr. Dave McIntyre received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1992 and completed his residency with the United States Air Force (USAF). In 1997 he became board certified through the American Board of Professional Psychology. During his service he provided performance psychology skills training to USAF Fighter Pilots, Flight Crews and Emergency Response teams as well as leading behavioral health response teams responding to national and international disasters such as the Indonesian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ivan, the Sandy Hook, Newtown Connecticut School Shooting, and several suicide cluster responses to Indian country. He was highly decorated, having been named USPHS Psychologist of the Year, the Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition Trainer of the Year, and received over 30 decorations from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and the United States Public Health Service. He retired from active duty at the rank of Captain (O-6) after having provided 30 years of service. Following his retirement from the uniformed service Dr. McIntyre expanded his Sports Psychology work into a full-time practice, Untapped Potential Sports Psychology LLC. The practice serves amateur to professional athletes looking to optimize their performance by applying psychological principles to overcome obstacles, strengthen their mental game, and facilitate injury rehabilitation. Dr. McIntyre and his staff serve athletes around the globe in pursuit of their performance goals. For a free consultation, reach out to Dr. McIntyre at drmc@untappedpotential.coach.