Sport psychology tips for everyone
Associate Professor of Kinesiology Christi Johnson teaches Psychology of Sport at Cornell College.
Motivation
Find something you feel confident about and keep your focus on that. Build new skills by “stair-stepping” up from the thing that you already feel confident about. Confidence is the foundation to motivation.
Look for joy in your activities. When we find activities to be fun, we gravitate toward them.
Build community around your pursuits. Having a supportive team or group can help pick you up when your confidence gets rattled and help you find the fun in otherwise challenging activities.
Keep competition to a healthy level. A little competition can enliven motivation, but too much becomes a burden.
Working with groups
The assumption that most people are just trying to do their best allows us to see others as potential allies. So, assume good intentions until definitively proven otherwise, and then try again anyway.
Work on assertive communication. Very few people will accurately guess how you feel, what you want, or what you need to be successful. Practicing self-advocacy in a non-confrontational yet assertive way can help you navigate competing needs.
Don’t fear the leader/boss/coach/teacher … just remember that person is someone who has a special skill set for focusing on a broad picture. If you or the leader are not invested in the group’s goals, find a new group.
Anxiety
Breathe. Take a deep breath, slowly exhale, and see if you can fix the situation with a calm mind.
Ask yourself how important a high-pressure situation really is. What would happen if you failed? Is it helpful to be so stressed?
Establish a practice (meditation, exercise, yoga, deep breathing, prayer if it fits your beliefs) that allows you to embrace stillness.
You and you alone are responsible for your emotions. No one has the power to “make you feel” a certain way. We have patterned responses to certain situations, and unpacking those can really help us to figure out why those emotions get triggered. But, ultimately, you are responsible for your emotions.
