tag:meshhypno.com,2005:/blogs/sport-and-performance-psychology?p=1Sport and Performance Psychology2018-12-12T16:23:15+11:00Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosisfalsetag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/38771102015-10-01T10:54:01+10:002020-09-24T22:55:40+10:00Emotional Intelligence in SportThere has been an increase in recent coaching literature aimed at helping coaches to create more emotionally intelligent athletes; in the belief this will benefit performance by improving motivation, awareness, problem-solving capability, decision-making, and resolve. The move to bring emotional intelligence (EI) into sport comes after great success by corporate organisations introducing specific strategies to develop this in the workplace. The potentially significant role of EI on sports performance is of interest as the aim will be to help athletes develop emotional control techniques, which has already been associated with improved performance in team sports. Simply put, having the ability to manage emotions successfully will lead athletes to use their emotions to assist performance during competition.<br><br><em>What is EI?</em><br><br>The concept of EI was brought to the forefront of researchers in the mid-1990’s, focusing on a mix of skills such as: awareness of emotions; traits (persistence and resilience); and good behaviour. While the specific skills required for EI are still debated, there is a general consensus that EI is “<em>the ability to deal with your own and other’s emotions through recognition of how you are feeling, sensing emotions in others and building productive relationships</em>”. What is also agreed within the literature is that <strong>EI should be viewed as a skill that can be taught, learned and developed</strong>. To provide a brief summary of the literature, EI is understood to be composed of several different competencies that are related to performance. As mentioned these competencies and skills are still being debated but the core aspects of EI are recognised as perception, understanding, utilising and managing emotions effectively (both in self and others). Goleman et al. (2002) building on the basic competencies categorized a number of influencing factors into two general dimensions:<br> <ol> <li>Self-awareness – emotional self-awareness; accurate self-awareness; self-confidence</li> <li>Self-management – emotional self-control; transparency; honesty / integrity / trustworthiness; adaptability / flexibility; achievement / drive for performance; initiative; optimism</li>
</ol><br><em>The Benefits of EI</em><br><br>EI is associated with desirable behaviours and psychological well-being across a number of different settings. Understanding your emotions is essential to your personal well-being. It is easy with so many demands on performance to become overwhelmed and ineffective. Development of EI and the improved ability to understand yourself (and your emotions) allows for clear thinking, creativity and better communication. Further the ability to enhance EI develops your potential to cope with stressors in both performance and training environments. High levels of EI are associated with stable personality and behavioural dispositions, which in turn are known to increase commitment and persistence to achievement of goals. Without the ability to recognise and regulate one’s own responses, many individuals will struggle to consistently select the best option particularly in stressful times. Therefore better EI can help lead to a happier life because acting calmly and rationally in difficult circumstances positions you to handle situations, events and other people more effectively. By understanding your own emotions and how to manage them, individuals are better able to express how they feel (including what you want and do not want), while at the same time acknowledging and understanding how others are feeling. This allows for better communication, understanding and stronger relationships.<br><br><em>Developing EI</em><br><br>Recognising that EI can be developed, it is important to provide some simple strategies that each individual can begin to work through to achieve this. While in no way is the information below an exhaustive approach, the aim here is to provide a starting point to initiate the process.<br> <ol> <li>
<em>Take responsibility for your own emotions</em> – don’t blame other people. By taking responsibility of your emotions then they are yours to manage (to influence and direct).</li> <li>
<em>Know your emotional triggers</em> – while it is not possible to plan for every emotional reaction, we all have certain things that trigger responses in us (both positively and negatively). Take some time to identify these and develop conscious and purposeful responses.</li> <li value="3">
<em>Stop and think</em> – most situations need clear and calm thinking. Try to slow everything down (note- there are a number of different approaches for this. For example: reciting the alphabet backwards; recalling everything you ate yesterday; snap an elastic band on your wrist; etc.). The important part is to ensure that it challenges your brain and that it provides the time to remove the initial emotional response.</li> <li value="4">
<em>Manage the physical feelings</em> – emotions are made up of thoughts, actions and physical feelings. Intense anger and anxiety are normally associated with quick, shallow breathing and muscle tension. Concentration on long, slow, diaphragmatic breathing can help reduce these physical responses.</li> <li value="5">
<em>Manage your behaviour </em>– managing emotions is dependent on a number of variables, so it is important to be flexible in your approach. Because each situation is different it is helpful to develop a range of strategies.</li> <li value="6">
<em>Consider your options </em>– generally the more choices and options you have available the less stressful a situation. Don’t just do the same thing over and over, rather identify as many possibilities as you. It does not matter if these are feasible or not, the important part is to gather lots of them.</li> <li value="7">
<em>Reflect</em> – the best method for learning and developing is to reflect on your response. How could you change this if you are in a similar situation? Would you need to do something different? How could you be even more effective? Reflection is crucial independent of the outcome (positive or negative).</li>
</ol>Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/38771092015-10-01T10:51:51+10:002021-07-08T21:01:45+10:00Team Building and Group CohesionTeam cohesion is “a dynamic process that is reflected in the tendency for a group to stick together and remain united in the pursuit of its instrumental objectives and/or satisfaction of member affective needs” (Carron et al., 1998). There are a few key points within this definition that need to be taken into account when beginning to develop cohesion with a group. Firstly it is a dynamic process; indicating that it is ever changing and needs to be address at regular intervals. There is little point doing a one-off team building activity and providing no follow up. Secondly cohesion is about sticking together and remaining united; implying the need to keep all members involved and working towards the team goals. Finally the inclusion of “and/or” provides a clear distinction that is regularly overlooked by those in leadership positions charged with team development and performance. This distinction determines that the focus of the team can either be towards performance and achievement <u>or</u> it can be related to helping members of the group get on well together. It is here that I have spent quite a bit of time within professional sports organizations helping staff and athletes to understand that while it is nice for members of the team to get on well together, it is not essential for performance.<br> <br>In order to better understand cohesion it may be best to start looking at the individuals that make up that team. Carron et al.’s (1998) conceptual model identifies that each team member has two separate dimensions for becoming involved with a team: 1) Individual attraction to the group, which reflects the individual’s perceptions about personal motivations acting to entice the individual to the group; and 2) Group integration, which reflects the individual’s perceptions about the closeness of the group and how well they bond together. Both of these dimensions can be split further into task or social reasons. <em>Task cohesion</em> is related to the degree to which group member’s work together to achieve a common goal i.e. about getting the job done. <em>Social cohesion</em> is the interpersonal attraction among group members i.e. about liking the people you work with. As mentioned it is the distinction between task and social cohesion that helps to explain how teams can overcome conflict to succeed.<br> <br>There have been numerous examples of teams overcoming adversity and internal conflict to achieve. A German researcher, Hans Lenk, was one of the first to disprove that teammates needed to like each other to be successful when he collected data from the ‘riotous’ German rowing eight team that won the gold medal at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. The team needed to be coaxed into the boat and had massive leadership issues off the water, with team members stated as hating each other. What they did have in common however was their desire to win an Olympic gold medal. Each member knew that for them to have the best hope of achieving this they needed each other member. This created an extremely high task cohesion between them.<br> <br><em>Team Building</em><br><br>It is essential to have a specific focus for team building interventions. Many teams only consider social cohesion when doing this. If you are aiming to improve performance this approach may overlook some key factors, instead to increase performance (and subsequently results) a task specific focus is needed. On the other hand if the focus is to have a group come together and enjoy working together then social team building strategies are essential. Therefore it is important know what the objectives are before commencing. No matter what the focus is the team building approach should incorporate the following 4 stages:<br> <ol> <li>Introductory Stage – the purpose of the first stage is to introduce the team building program and provide a background to the effectiveness and results from team building interventions. This is important because participants exhibit greater motivation and adherence when they understand the intervention.</li>
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<ol> <li value="2">Conceptual Stage – introducing the conceptual framework. For visual learners, a framework may improve comprehension of the focus areas of the program. While a conceptual model also assists with the transition from theory to practice. Although many in the group may not be interested in the theory, they will be interested in how it will help the group.</li>
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<ol> <li value="3">Practical Stage – the third stage encourages group members and leaders to become actively involved in the process. By becoming actively involved group members have been shown to increase commitment. (<em>It is important to note that these first three stages can be accomplished in one relatively brief session).</em>
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<ol> <li value="4">Intervention Stage – The specific program developed from the previous stages is implemented.</li>
</ol> <br> <br><em>Team building for performance</em><br><br>Task cohesion is most important for performance, with research identifying substantial increases in cohesiveness and individual’s adherence behaviour from task focused team building activities. The primary aim is to demonstrate how important each individual is for the team and develop each individual’s responsibility. Those in leadership positions are crucial to this, by creating a positive, confident and empowering climate that: provides coherent, visionary and accepted leadership; encourages members to dedicate their effort to collective achievement; provides efficient use of time and resources; and reduces / eliminates any negativity. Some specific strategies that can be implemented include: group goal setting and behavioural norms; clarity of team roles; establishing unique team identifiers; provide opportunities for member input; foster mutual trust and respect; and be really clear with communication.<br> <br><em>Team building for exercise groups</em><br><br>Much research has been conducted using group exercise settings and the benefits of social cohesion, which is why it infuriates me to see so many poorly structured groups exercise classes (not to mention poorly trained instructors). High levels of social cohesion leads to: less dropouts; reduction in absenteeism and lateness; increased work output; and greater goal achievement. Some suggested strategies for those leading exercises groups include: having a group name and identity (i.e. group T-shirt); encourage members to work together; promote a smart work ethic; encourage group activities after training (i.e. coffee); include lots of variety; keep activity levels high (not necessarily intensity but keep people involved); promote group interaction and communication; and perhaps most important is to keep it fun.<br> <br><em>Summary</em><br><br>Teams are constantly developing and progressing. Understanding the purpose and goals of the team is essential. Research has demonstrated that about 90% of the time developing cohesion within the team has led to increased achievement of goals. Why not 100%? The answer is because these teams have chosen an inappropriate focus to their team building (normally developing social cohesion in the hope of achieving performance measures). There is a reciprocal relationship between cohesion and performance. The ideal approach to take with teams is to initially focus team building on social developments, with a move towards a task specific focus to enhance performance. The approach that is taken needs to meet the objectives of the team building program. It is also essential that team building strategies are implemented on a regular basis and not just seen as a one-off activity.Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/38771072015-10-01T10:50:23+10:002015-10-01T10:50:23+10:00Developing the Team<br>How do groups and teams differ? Early research by Cartwright and Zander (1968) made the distinction that a team is any group of individuals who must interact with each other to accomplish shared objectives. This leads us to identify that all teams are groups but not all groups are teams. Team members have to depended on and support each other to accomplish these shared objectives. Therefore it is important that we recognise the process groups go through in order to become focused and perform at high levels. This most recognised process is Tuckman’s (1965) “Stages of Group Development” stating that groups go through four stages:<br> <ol> <li>Forming – familiarisation; interpersonal relationships formed; team structure developed</li> <li>Storming – rebellion; resistance to control; interpersonal conflict</li> <li>Norming – solidarity and co-operation develop</li> <li>Performing – channel energies for team success</li>
</ol><br>What is recognised as the first published social psychology experiment was undertaken by Norman Triplett in 1897 investigating how individuals worked in groups. What he identified was that competition between cyclists resulted in improved performance; results which he replicated with youths reeling a fishing line. However, as you can assume the scientific rigor and statistical analysis in 1897 was not quite as advanced as today (which has actually identified that there was no significant improvement). Further studies at a similar time were conducted by Ringlemann, who observed that when people were grouped together on a rope pulling task that productivity dropped by 23% when group size reached four people. This has been replicated in numerous other studies into group size and performance. This drop in performance has led to the term ‘social loafing’ – the phenomenon that individuals put in less than 100% effort when in a group.<br><br><em>Social Loafing</em><br><br>So why do individuals not give their all? There are a number of reasons identified for this:<br> <ul> <li>Effort matching – generally occurring when there is lack of trust within the group, causing some members to think “why should I put in the effort when others in the group are not”</li> <li>Lack of identifiability – a minimising strategy where individuals can get lost in the crowd (particularly in larger groups) and work only as hard as they deem necessary to gain credit or avoid blame</li> <li>Dispensability – individuals can hide in the crowd and avoid negative consequences of slacking off</li>
</ul><br><em>The Implications for Teams</em><br> <ol> <li>Increase the amount of individual self-awareness by giving specific feedback</li> <li>Increase an individual’s sense of responsibility</li> <li>Make each task personally involving</li> <li>Employ a systematic goal setting program</li> <li>Meetings can be had where social loafing is discussed</li>
</ol><br><em>The Implications for the Organisation</em><br> <ol style="list-style-type: upper-alpha;"> <li>Allow individuals to make a unique contribution to the team</li> <li>Allow individuals to express themselves creatively</li> <li>Require people to spend some time rotating in other positions</li> <li>Provide opportunities for diversity</li> <li>Monitor individual performance</li>
</ol><br>It is important for any leader of a team to be able to create cohesion among members to minimise social loafing and ensure productivity. In the next newsletter, I will discuss strategies for developing effective cohesion within a team.<br> Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/38071802015-08-07T09:39:39+10:002021-07-08T21:02:06+10:00Positive Self-TalkThe use of self-talk is central to the management of cognitive anxiety. The regularity and content of internal dialogue is individual and situation dependent. Research has defined self-talk to be any time that a person engages in a conversation with themselves, which can be external or internal, aimed at providing instruction, reinforcement or interpretation of feelings. As most people will understand this can have either positive or negative consequences. Positive self-talk becomes facilitative when it enhances self-worth and performance, keeps an athlete focused on the present and helps to remove distractions of past or future events. While negative self-talk can be debilitating for performance by enabling the athlete to over-analyse situations, talk themselves out of it, or commencing a downward spiral of negative thoughts (especially when currently under-performing). In many ways the type of self-talk engaged in can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.<br><br><em>Self-Talk for Skill Acquisition</em><br><br>Using planned self-talk can enhance the learning of new skills, with the content changing as the performer becomes more adept. During the early stages, using some instructional cues can help an individual focus on key aspects of the performance / movement i.e. “shorten stride length” while running up hill. Working with a coach to establish the important technical cues for you is the best way to identify these. As skills become more proficient the focus can switch to strategies and optimal feelings i.e. “engage the core”; “smooth and fluid”. As an individual becomes more skilled the goal is to reduce the conscious control and move to an autonomous stage of learning. Using cue words and phrases ensure that it is possible to stay focused on specific components, building confidence in our personal ability.<br><br><em>Self-Talk for Changing Bad Habits</em><br><br>As we progress and learn new, more efficient methods it may be necessary to change from how we have performed previously and almost unlearn techniques in order to rebuild them more effectively. In such cases an athlete needs to intentionally force themselves to become more conscious of the movements. Using self-talk in these situations can be highly effective. The more severe the change the more detailed the self-talk needs to be. The aim, similar to early skill acquisition self-talk, is to utilise specific comments that focus on performing in the new, desired way. This should focus on the positive regarding what to do, and avoid what not to do. In general there is no benefit from focusing on undesirable actions and this approach only provides negative images that will impact the learning of the new technique.<br><br><em>Self-Talk for Creating Affect</em><br><br>Research, as early as the 1970’s, established that specific cue words can produce significant changes in performance. For example Meichenbaum (1975) found that runners could increase their speed by using words such as “fast” or “quick”., with similar performance improvements found in many other sports. <em>For endurance athletes it may be necessary to shift between words throughout the duration of the activity, with words that focus on pace or energy conservation most effective early; persistence and tuning into the body during the middle sections; and speed and power words important towards the end of the activity</em>. Meichenbaum noted that each word should have an emotional quality that is linked to the movement.<br><br><em>Self-Talk for Building Confidence</em><br><br>Self-confidence and in particular self-efficacy (a situation self-confidence) is known to be influenced by verbal persuasion, so why not use self-talk as a means enhance your confidence? Using positive terms, which have a personal meaning, allows for the development of confidence. By using key terms an athlete is able to instil belief in their own ability to accomplish goals, increase effort and maintain persistence. This can be especially important during rehabilitation from injury, where positive self-talk has been related to quicker return to action.<br><br><em><strong>Controlling Self-Talk</strong></em><br><br>As discussed the consequences of self-talk can be positive or negative dependent on the words that we say to ourselves. As such it is important that we maintain positive talk to produce performance enhancing results. As humans this is not always easy to do and regularly we can find ourselves repeating negative terms (“I can’t do it”; “It’s too cold”; “Everyone is faster than me”). Therefore it is necessary to become more aware of these negativities, stop them, and then follow up with some positive performance enhancing thoughts. Without going into the background of all of these, there are some highly effective strategies that all athletes can incorporate:<br> <ol> <li>Thought stopping – recognising the negative thought and use a trigger to stop or snap out of it. I have worked with athletes who say “stop” out loud, while others have snapped an elastic band on their wrist. The aim is to get a trigger that works for you.</li> <li>Couple negative thoughts with positive ones – putting a positive statement onto the negative changes the emphasis for the individual. For example “It’s too far, I can’t make it” is immediately followed by “I have trained really well and am in great condition”. I encourage athletes to make a list of common self-defeating thoughts and then provide a positive follow up statement for each.</li> <li>Reframing – the process of creating alternative ways of thinking to aid performance. This process does not downplay the negative thought but rather changes the focus to become more motivating. My athletes that I have worked with have talked about feeling really nervous or anxious about performing; this can be reframed to “these are the feelings that allow me to perform at my best”.</li> <li>Constructing affirmations – affirmations can be very powerful, as they inspire feelings of confidence and control. They reflect positive attitudes about yourself or the situation, stated as though you have already achieved them. The most effective affirmations are believable and vivid (“I’m fast, I’m strong, I’m powerful”; “I love it when it rains”). Affirmations should be in the present tense and should avoid perfectionist statements that may be impossible to live up to (i.e. “I always …” or “I never …”)</li>
</ol> <br>Research has established that there is a direct correlation between self-confidence and success. Positive self-talk leads to more self-confidence and belief that you can achieve. By using hypnosis we can embed these positive thoughts into your subconscious, which will then allow you to perform at your best / overcome adversity. When recently working with athletes competing at Ironman Melbourne one of the key suggestions I made with them was that when they saw each kilometre marker post on the run leg they would gain a sense of pride in their accomplishment, repeat to themselves that they felt strong and in control, and follow this with an individualised positive affirmation. Each of them has subsequently stated that this was important for their belief that they could do it. And they did.<br> Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/38071792015-08-07T09:38:09+10:002015-08-07T09:38:09+10:00Hypnosis in Sport<br>Traditionally a variety of psychological skills are employed by sports psychologists to enhance performance. These include: imagery; attentional focusing activities; arousal regulation; and goal setting. In general imagery, visualization, mental practice and mental rehearsal are terms that have been interchangeable within published literature. These terms refer to cognitively creating or re-creating new or past experiences to enhance confidence, preparedness or skill acquisition. Attentional focus incorporates activities (such as self-talk, thought stopping, and routines) that are concerned with altering thoughts to stay focused on the present activity and to avoid disruption from distractions. Arousal regulation comprises of actions, involving relaxation or energizing, aimed at achieving optimal performance levels. It is recognised that each athlete has their own optimal arousal level at which they have the best opportunity to perform at their peak. Finally goal setting is associated with the establishment of specific and measurable targets, which enable a structured approach to the achievement of long term objectives.<br><br>Despite the increased use of hypnosis in many health and wellbeing settings, there is still a very limited use in relation to performance development and particularly in sport settings. At the competitive end athletes are at similar levels of technical ability and physiological training and as such success and failure are often separated by minute differences; with many suggesting that the difference between success and failure is psychological. To enhance the psychological skills of athletes’ practitioners will regularly encourage them to utilise guided imagery and relaxation techniques. These techniques are the core elements of hypnosis, which encourages the question “why would athletes not use hypnosis to achieve quicker and better results than traditional sports psychology techniques?”<br><br>Hypnosis is not banned or regulated by any sports committee or organising body, and has reportedly been successfully utilised by a wide range of athletes to enhance their performance. Research led by Jaime Baker in the UK has noted that hypnosis can benefit athletes by enhancing self-confidence through the use of positive imagery, self-talk and feedback. Using hypnosis allows performers to be guided through a process of creating mental models to enhance self-belief and ability and / or replicating past performances. Baker et al. (2013) suggest hypnosis to be a time-efficient and highly facilitative technique to increase self-efficacy leading to increases in performance potential.<br>Using hypnosis as a tool for enhancing sports performance is no longer just supported by anecdotal reports, rather there is now an expanding amount of scientifically critiqued research to strengthen this approach.<br><br> <table align="left" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
<thead> <tr> <th scope="col">Authors</th> <th scope="col">Sport</th> <th scope="col">Findings</th> </tr>
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<tbody> <tr> <td>Barker & Jones (2006)</td> <td>Cricket</td> <td>Improved composure</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Barker & Jones (2008)</td> <td>Soccer</td> <td>Self-reported improved confidence</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Heyman (1987)</td> <td>Boxing</td> <td>Did not improve in-fight performance</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Lindsay, Maynard & Thomas (2005)</td> <td>Cycling</td> <td>Improved race performance in 1 of 3</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pates (2013)</td> <td>Golf</td> <td>Improved stroke average</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pates, Cummings & Maynard (2002)</td> <td>Basketball</td> <td>Improved 3-point shooting accuracy</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pates & Maynard (2000)</td> <td>Golf</td> <td>Improved chipping accuracy</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pates, Maynard & Westbury (2001)</td> <td>Basketball</td> <td>Improved jump shot and set-shot accuracy</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pates, Oliver & Maynard (2001)</td> <td>Golf</td> <td>Improved putting accuracy</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Pates & Palmi (2002)</td> <td>Badminton</td> <td>Improved short serve accuracy</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Robazza & Bortoli (1995)</td> <td>Archery</td> <td>Improved shooting accuracy</td> </tr>
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</table><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>There are clear benefits of using hypnosis. The key is individually designed hypnotic training for athletes, based on their particular needs. A training plan may be formulated by determining which, of ten, overall strategies are needed with the individual athlete:<br> <ol> <li>Enhance sensory awareness and muscle control</li> <li>Increase concentration, control internal dialogue, and decrease awareness of unimportant external stimuli</li> <li>Control anxiety, anger and emotions</li> <li>Enhance motivation and enthusiasm</li> <li>Increase energy, feelings of invigoration, and endurance</li> <li>Enhance performance skill</li> <li>Increase self-esteem, confidence, and self-efficacy</li> <li>Control perception of time and focus on the present experience</li> <li>Resolution of unconscious blocks or conflicts</li> <li>Management of discomfort</li>
</ol>Under these ten strategies we may identify the specific hypnotic techniques that will allow us to accomplish our goals, such as imagining an ideal model, mental rehearsal, use of end result imagery, progressive relaxation, direct suggestions, symbolic imagery techniques, ego strengthening methods and positive internal dialogue.<br><br>Click on the links to read more of the <a contents="research" data-link-label="Research" data-link-type="page" href="http://meshhypno.com/research" target="_blank">research</a> or to find out <a contents="how hypnosis works" data-link-label="Sports Hypnosis Explained" data-link-type="page" href="http://meshhypno.com/sports-hypnosis-explained" target="_blank">how hypnosis works</a> in more detail.<br> Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37438162015-06-16T21:34:05+10:002022-04-30T18:38:35+10:007 HabitsThere are numerous examples available aimed at helping people become more effective or efficient in their performance. These are not just sports specific but many come from personal development, self-help or corporate settings. In previous blogs goal setting has been discussed, highlighting the importance of short-term goals as stepping-stones to long-term success; however it is equally essential to ensure that those short-term goals are actually leading somewhere. Regularly people emphasize the short-term results without consultation to the long-term effects, and it appears that there is often more concern with doing things as quickly as possible rather setting solid foundations for development. One of these approaches, Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People”, has been used by a number of people I work with as a means to help create the building blocks for achievement. The process is based around a principle from Albert Gray:<br> <div style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><em>“Successful people have a habit of doing things failures don’t like to do. They don’t like doing them either, necessarily, but their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose”</em></span></div> <br>Habits themselves are patterns of behaviour composed of three overlapping components: knowledge, attitude and skill. There is debate over whether these are innate or can be learned (and I have no intention of entering the nature versus nurture debate here), but it is known that these can all be developed and improved (or unlearned as may be necessary). Covey’s approach recognises that successful people build habits of effectiveness into their daily lives. These habits are mutually supportive of each other and are passed through in sequential order, guiding an individual to regular success. The process can be implemented into all areas of our lives and can help in guiding us on the most effective path.<br><br><em>Habit 1: Be Proactive</em> – simply take responsibility for your attitudes and actions. Covey breaks the word responsibility into two parts: response and ability; suggesting proactive people develop the ability to choose their responses, making them more of a product of their values and decisions than their moods and conditions. Everyone has the ability to decide how they are going to act or re-act to certain situations and often people allow their minds to run free with negative thoughts like “what if” or “what could have been” rather than staying present in the moment and assessing the best response or course of action. One of the key components in a number of the hypnosis scripts that I write is related to not stressing about past or future events, unless there is something constructive that you can do about it. It sounds clichéd that we should learn something from everything that we do, but it is an effective approach to take.<br><br><em>Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind</em> – It is really important to know where you are trying to go. How else is it possible to create and effective pathway to get there? This is the habit of personal leadership; creating a clear direction. It is essential to create a mental picture or strategy before the physical performance can be implemented. Covey notes that effective people write mission statements and use them as a frame of reference for making future decisions. By clarifying your values and purposes it is possible to prioritise what is most important for yourself. Again underpinned in a lot of the hypnosis strategies I use is the push to let go of old habits (usually developed from someone else’s opinion of what you should or shouldn’t do) that do not serve your purpose.<br><br><em>Habit 3: Put First Things First</em> – Building on our ability to prioritise, this habit encourages organization and time management. The Pareto Principle (from the work of an Italian economist) suggests that 80% of our desired results will come from 20% of our activities. The learning from this is to identify what is most important for you and spend more time working on these areas, spreading your time between the urgent and not urgent. Further to become more effective within this we should devote less time to urgent but unimportant things (i.e. interruptions; distractions) and more time to important but not urgent things (i.e. preparation; planning). By neglecting these important, non-urgent topics there is a greater possibility for these to create emergencies that will disrupt your ability to achieve. Covey proposes that if you only plan daily rather than weekly you will live in a constant state of reaction and your planning will only prioritise your problems.<br><br><em>Habit 4: Think Win-Win</em> – This is the habit of interpersonal leadership, where effectiveness is largely achieved through the cooperation between invested members. Where problems can occur is when individuals approach these relationships with an independent mentality. I often see this in gyms where personal trainers appear to have no interest in their client’s success and therefore just regurgitate the same exercises over and over, rather than investing some time into planning to create a quality program that their clients would then recommend to others (n.b. This is one of the reasons why I create individualised programs in all the face-to-face packages). Win-win thinking is an attitude of seeking mutual benefit. Really begin to think about how you can create positive outcomes for yourself and others around you, considering the desired results, resources, accountability and consequences.<br><br><em>Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood</em> – Effective communication is crucial to develop this win-win relationship. One of the key aspects of effective communication is listening to develop empathy. Breakdowns regularly occur when there is a difference in perception (or when people have a greater desire to respond than to identify the meaning), but this can be resolved by understanding the situation from all sides. Listen to whole story, as this will provide more knowledge and information to act upon.<br><br><em>Habit 6: Synergise</em> – It is important to bring these components together and create a cooperative approach, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We can use the information that each part brings, seeking to find the best course of action that will ensure quality results. Synergy comes from bringing together different perspectives. Don’t just rely on one way of doing something, rather be open-minded to suggestions and incorporate methods than can enhance performance.<br><br><em>Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw</em> – The aim is to remember to take care of yourself in order to ensure that you work most effectively. Covey postulates that it is important to keep production capability and production in balance, with the notion that while you may be effectively sawing the tree currently you still need to ensure that the blade stays sharp to allow for future success. Similarly within one of the hypnosis scripts that I use one of the lines is “putting more fuel into a car will not fix an engine temperature problem”. Think about how you can maintain future production and what strategies you need to implement to allow you to be more effective. There are some great examples of this within golf, with players such as Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, and even Rory McIlroy, while at the top of the game, winning regularly, realised that in order to reach the next level they needed to re-invent their swing. Don’t be scared to take a step backwards, in order to surpass your previous best.<br> Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37415272015-06-15T11:16:49+10:002021-07-08T21:02:56+10:00The Psychology of the MarathonerWe recently came across a research paper that had been presented at a conference in 2007 by John Raglan, entitled “The Psychology of the Marathoner”. Obviously this struck our interest, especially as there were some interesting analysis within it. As such we have decided to use this newsletter to summarize the key points, while including our own thoughts on this topic.While the physiological attributes of endurance sport athletes, and in particular marathon runners, have been research for many years there has still been minimal investigation into the psychological components. Early work by Morgan and Pollock (1977) explored the mental health benefits of marathon running, finding that marathoners had better mental health compared to non-athletes. So distance running is good for you.<br>The knowledge of how important the psychological aspects are in influencing sport performance are regularly acknowledge (although many still do not act on training these skills). Raglin uses a quote from Sir Roger Bannister to emphasize this point:<br> <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="font_large"><font size="6"><em>“…psychological and other factors beyond the ken of physiology set the razor’s edge of defeat or victory…”</em></font></span><br> </div>Having a positive mindset is one of the key factors to achieving peak performance, and we have highlighted the benefits of this in previous newsletters. Interestingly though, Raglin also suggests that marathon runners can paradoxically benefit performance by utilising negative emotions, such as anxiety, in certain circumstances.<br><br><em>Personality Characteristics of Marathoners</em><br><br>In our last newsletter we discussed personality traits and their influence in sport so we will not rehash that information. Marathoners and other endurance athletes have been identified as being less introverted than non-athletes, as well as scoring lower in depression and anxiety and higher in more desirable variables such as emotional stability. These traits are seen to be innate in the individual, rather than developed through participation in the sport. This suggests that participation in endurance events may be something that we are psychologically programmed to do. Motivational profiles in marathoners have also been determined to highly intrinsically focused, where the performer is driven by intrinsic rewards. Within applied sport psychology we try to encourage athletes to become more intrinsically motivated as it promotes increased effort, greater persistence and lower anxiety levels. Further research across a 20-year period by O’Connor (2007) has found that the positive attributes of successful marathon runners are stable and enduring. Simply a positive focus has a greater likelihood of better performance.<br><br><em>State Anxiety and Performance</em><br><br>State anxiety is easily described as situational nervousness i.e. mounting stress about an upcoming race, which fluctuates over time. Most sports psychologists would suggest that marathon runners would benefit from having low levels of state anxiety, however studies with endurance athletes have revealed the influence of anxiety varies considerably, with some athletes actually benefitting from high anxiety. When investigating anxiety in more depth it is recognised that each individual has a zone of optimal functioning (IZOF), postulating that optimal anxiety levels are idiosyncratic. As suggested it would seem best for athletes to have lower levels of anxiety as this will help enhance positive emotional responses, but IZOF research involving distance runners indicates that between 30-45% perform best when anxiety is high. Something that has been replicated in runners as young as 9 years old. When assessing these results it must be noted that this information is collected pre-event and does not suggest that being anxious all through training is optimal. In fact, being under constant stress in training will undoubtedly lead to a decrease in enjoyment, demotivation and lack of persistence / adherence to the program. Nonetheless the anxiety experienced before a marathon is not uniformly detrimental to performance but can actually be beneficial for competitors. It is proposed that using anxiety reducing techniques before a marathon may be counterproductive, harming rather than benefitting their performance. It is about knowing when you perform best.<br><br><em>Coping with the Stress of the Marathon</em><br><br>Due to the length of duration in endurance sports it is necessary to adopt a range of different psychological strategies to deal with both the physical and psychological stress. Many elite marathon runners learn to pay close attention to the physical sensations i.e. muscle fatigue; hydration to actively attempt to optimise performance. While non-elite runners regularly use psychological strategies in an attempt to distract themselves from discomfort. This strategy often involved unusual methods such as conducting complicated mathematical calculations, mentally designing houses, and reliving past performances. Other alternatives to manage the stress include adhering to pre-race strategies to do with pacing, or following in the footsteps of another runner irrespective of their pace. This type of strategy does have a greater potential for injury though and may result in “hitting the wall”, as the runner is not managing their own performance. Interestingly about 50% of Olympic distance runners use psychological coping strategies in training but none do in a competition. It is recommended to become more aware of your physiological feelings and understand how these can be used as triggers during the run.<br> Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37415192015-06-15T11:15:44+10:002015-06-15T11:15:44+10:00PersonalityIn recent years research in sport psychology has moved away from the identification of personality traits as a means to identify peak performance levels; particularly as the multitude of different personalities in elite sport grows. Away from sport a number of performance settings (i.e. performing arts) are still engaging in research related to how personality traits effect results. These studies have identified openness and conscientiousness as being favourable, with neuroticism and emotionality as undesirable. If traits could be easily nurtured or diminished it would make sense to identify key attributes and coach their development as a means of improving performance; however this is not the case. Performance development may be better served by learning more about how to use the traits each individual has in a more effective manner. At MESH we firmly believe that understanding yourself is important for how you manage performance, assisting in strategies to help cope with adversity, structure goals and the ability to work most efficiently. Further with the growth of areas such as mindfulness in psychology, it makes perfect sense the becoming aware of how you function best is crucial to personal development and improvement.<br><br>When discussing what constitutes personality, most people will typically suggest that it includes the characteristics that make people different from each other. Personality refers to the collection of enduring psychological features that make individuals different from each other. We also know that each person has their own optimal zone where they perform at their best, which is based on these traits. There are numerous assessments available that identify different personality traits (i.e Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; 16PF+; DISC; Belbin Team Roles – we are a big fan of this for team development) that can be found by using a simple internet search. With an understanding of a number of these, at MESH we have developed our own assessment profile that identifies for personality types.<br> <table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
<thead> <tr> <th scope="col">Impulsive</th> <th scope="col">Enforcer</th> <th scope="col">Analyzer</th> <th scope="col">Intuitive</th> </tr>
</thead>
<caption>Personality Profiles</caption>
<tbody> <tr> <td>Flash in and out of things</td> <td>Like to be assertive</td> <td>Likes clear goals</td> <td>Are flexible to change</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Can lose interest quickly</td> <td>Can be very structured</td> <td>Likes lots of detail</td> <td>Makes decisions on individual choices</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Love constantly changing environments</td> <td>Back themselves</td> <td>Hard self-marker</td> <td>Like to be reassured</td> </tr> <tr> <td>See the big picture easily</td> <td>Slows down when doubtful / defensive</td> <td>Difficulty adjusting to last minute change / rapid fluctuations</td> <td>Self-doubt can be a problem</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Not a fan of detail</td> <td>Resistant to change</td> <td>Don't like surprises</td> <td><em>Use patterns to show connections</em></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Act on instinct</td> <td><em>Avoid having too many concurrent tasks</em></td> <td>Can speed up when under pressure</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><em>Capitalize on burst of energy</em></td> <td> </td> <td>Can over analyze</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><em>Don't over analyze</em></td> <td> </td> <td><em>Be logical; have a plan</em></td> <td> </td> </tr>
</tbody>
</table><br><br><em>Using this Information</em><br><br>The big problem when identifying different personality types within teams and organizations is then the desire for those in senior positions to use this information to label or categorize individuals. This malpractice causes fear mongering amongst those completing the assessment and regularly provides answers of “what I think you want to see” as opposed to honest assessments. We have seen this first hand within sports organisations (who have used other standardized personality profiles), particularly with individuals being labelled “soft” for scoring high in certain areas and others (who knew the purpose of the assessment) scoring themselves highly in powerful, leadership categories as these would “look better” to senior management.<br><br>The key factor to using any assessment of personality traits is to use the information in a productive way. As highlighted in the profiles above an individual can use this information to their advantage by using their strength areas to focus on and to manage situations most effectively. Whereas, coaches / leaders / etc. should use this information to adjust their approach to working with this individual. The key to good leadership is having the ability to adapt and meet the needs of the people you work with. At a conference a few years ago there was a presentation given relating to English soccer manager Sam Allardyce’s work at Bolton Wanderers, which demonstrated how he used personality traits within team selection. The example provided was when a key player had been injured in the warm-up prior to the game, allowing for little notice to his replacement. The direct replacement for this player had traits that suggested he didn’t like surprises and performed best when he was fully prepared and could plan (similar to the analyzer profile). Knowing this information Allardyce elected not to choose him to start the game and rather select a player who did not normally play the required position, but had a much more impulsive type of personality.<br><br>In summary it is important to understand how you work best and know how much stress you can handle. Realise when you are in control / not in control and identify the warning signals that can negatively affect performance. We recommend developing your coping skills and creating plans that work for you. Don’t just copy what others do.<br> Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37415182015-06-15T11:14:32+10:002015-06-15T11:14:32+10:00Psychology of InjuryA range of negative emotions, principally shock, disbelief, anger, frustration and depression, have been reported by athletes following severe injury. Over time these negative emotions are replaced by optimism and focus as the athlete concentrates on the rehabilitation. The quicker an athlete becomes disengaged from these negative emotions the sooner they can become focused on the physical rehabilitation. As such early acceptance of the severity of the injury can result in a speedier and more efficient return to previous physical fitness levels. Without going into great detail, academic research has attempted to understand the psychological processes experienced by using both stage models (Kübler-Ross, 1969; Pedersen, 1986) and cognitive appraisal models (Brewer, 1994; Wiese-Bjornstal, Smith, Shaffer & Morrey, 1998). Because of the loss of health, sense of purpose, and self-identity initial research suggested the response to athletic injury was similar to the grief responses of terminally ill patients. Kübler-Ross’ (1969) grief model involves five stages (Denial; Bargaining; Anger; Depression; and Acceptance) passed through sequentially. While Wiese-Bjornstal et al. (1998) presented an integrated model of the psychological response to sports injury, which illustrated the multitude of cyclical factors involved in development of cognitive appraisal and adjustment to being injured. Specifically, personal factors (i.e., age; level of competition) and situational factors (i.e., injury severity; timing of injury, availability of medical support) interact to influence the athlete’s appraisal of injury, which influences emotional, behavioural, and cognitive responses.<br><br>However, from a practical perspective we know that dealing with the psychological components of injury is equally important as the physical rehabilitation. To make this simpler we have broken down the best approaches for managing the mental processes into three stages: 1) Pre and Post Surgery; 2) Physical Rehabilitation; and 3) Return to Competition.<br><br>1) Pre and Post Surgery - Prior to surgical intervention feelings of depression and anxiety are predominant, and those working with injured athletes should encourage the adoption of problem focused coping strategies. Specifically, medical providers can reduce the stress of athletes by providing them with a detailed overview of the surgical procedure and the subsequent rehabilitation program. Knowledge of the process allows the injured athlete more control over the rehabilitation and assists with preparation for surgery. Early acceptance of the injury post-surgery facilitates the recovery by providing a greater focus on the rehabilitation goals; while establishing new goals to compensate for the removal of sport performance goals should be encouraged.<br><br>2) Physical Rehabilitation - During the physical rehabilitation athletes should be guided to become personally involved with the rehabilitation process. Developing some autonomy and control over the process is essential. Research suggests that increased personal control during rehabilitation promotes more adaptive coping response, and increases persistence and adherence. Athlete confidence can be developed by seeing improvements in physical ability and by achieving short term goals.<br><br>3) Return to Competition - Fear of re-injury has been commonly reported by athletes returning to competition following ACL injury, however more recently research suggests greater fears relate to a lack of physical fitness and performance. As such physical competence can be increased by ensuring athletes successfully complete clinical and sport specific tests. It is recommended that a psychological skills training program, concentrating on confidence development, should be integrated with the physical rehabilitation program. Coaches, medical staff, and the returning athlete should all be involved in the design of specific, realistic goals aimed at returning the athlete to previous performance levels. The use of goals within the return to competition allows the athlete to concentrate on other factors and reduce concentration on the injured body part; while the achievement of these goals can increase competence and self-confidence.<br><br><em>Some General Tips to Follow:</em><br> <ul> <li>Get a good understanding of your injury and the rehabilitation process</li> <li>Re-set your goals, setting a number of short-term objectives</li> <li>Take ownership of your rehabilitation</li> <li>Build confidence by identifying the small improvements you make</li> <li>Stay involved with your sport / team / club as much as possible (but take a complete break away if it starts to get too much)</li> <li>Work with a coach / medical provider / sport psychologist to set specific targets for return</li>
</ul>Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37415162015-06-15T11:13:18+10:002015-06-15T11:13:18+10:00Pre-Performance RoutinesResearch across a variety of performance settings has identified that routines can ensure that all positive influences on performance are supported (Schack et al., 2005). They help by diverting attention from task-irrelevant thoughts to the task-relevant plan. The habit allows athletes to control every possible aspect that influences training and competition, while helping to provide positive mental and emotional states. There are a number of differing theories as to how they work (Attention Control theory; Activation Set theory; Mental Rehearsal theory) that we will not discuss here; however whichever approach you take routines do work. Different types of routine can be developed for different phases (i.e. training; pre-competition; between-performance; post-competition) and serve different purposes. Some athletes that we have worked with have had highly structured routines, which include activities that stretch over days i.e. specific meals at specific times pre-competition. We don’t feel the need to suggest this approach for the majority of performers, mostly due to the numerous factors that need to be accounted for before a competition. What we do advocate though is the use of routines immediately prior to performance as they has shown to benefit:<ul> <li><span class="font_regular">Better preparation</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Greater control</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Increase self-awareness</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Improved focus</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Removal of negative thoughts and possible distracters</span></li>
</ul><span class="font_regular"><em>How to develop your own pre-performance routine?</em><br><br>There is no one specific process, and indeed the design of a perfect routine is highly individual and needs some practice and development. The simplest way that we initially get athletes to think about their pre-performance routine is to recount what they did when they had their best ever performance. Write down all the significant steps that you did. Also remember to include all the things that have to be done. Our next step is to encourage performers to include their “superstitions”. While these are regularly considered to be crazy or weird, we believe (and have anecdotal evidence) that anything a performer can do to put themselves into a positive mindset is important (<em>I must admit that I have to put my right sock and shoe on before the left</em>). We then get performers to identify a key or “power” word or phrase that they can repeat to themselves immediately prior to commencement. This word / phrase can either be in the form of a mantra that resonates with them or a technical component of their performance to remember. The next stage is to establish a timeframe to implement each of the stages. Remember to take into account the specific nature of your activity and how much time is actually available. The final step is to put it into practice. As we have stated previously these routines need to be trained and adapted to find what works best. Regularly the first developed routine ends up completely different to the final product.<br>Key points</span>
<ol> <li><span class="font_regular">Identify what you did prior to your best performance</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Include personal “superstitions”</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Create a power word / phrase</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Establish the time frame (including key aspects of the activity)</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Trial it and make required changes</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Follow it at all occasions (training and competition)</span></li>
</ol><br> Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37407692015-06-14T17:57:46+10:002018-08-03T13:59:23+10:00ConcentrationConcentration, or attentional focus as it is commonly referred to in the sport psychology texts, is defined as “the ability to focus on the task at hand while ignoring distractions” (Brewer, 2009); and in sport generally consists of three main parts:<ol> <li>Selective attention (focusing on the relevant cues in the environment)</li> <li>Maintaining that attentional focus over time</li> <li>Having awareness of the situation</li>
</ol>While most people believe that concentration is an all-or-nothing phenomenon, research has discovered that various types of attentional focus are required during sport performance dependent on the situation. As a simple explanation a football player requires a broad focus to scan the playing field for an appropriate teammate to pass to, but will require a narrow focus (i.e. on the ball) when attempting to make that pass. It has long been acknowledged that even skilled performers can have difficulty staying in the present, especially in competition environments, and end up utilising an inappropriate focus of attention (which can have a highly detrimental impact on their performance). This difficulty is usually compounded by some form of distraction. External distractions (visual / auditory distractions; gamesmanship by other competitors; weather) can cause sudden breaks in concentration, but can be overcome by reframing or refocusing attention onto task relevant cues.<br> <br>In our experience working with athletes at all levels, it is internal distractions that are most disruptive to performance. Internal distracters can be caused by: choking under pressure; fatigue; or over-analysis of body mechanics. However, two other internal factors are generally more detrimental:<ol> <li>Attending to past events – “I can’t believe that just happened”; “I never perform well at this venue”; or “I hope I don’t perform as bad as my last race”</li> <li>Attending to future events – “I need to put in a good performance”; “I don’t want to finish last”; or “What if everyone is stronger than me?”</li>
</ol>I am sure that all of you have had thoughts like these during a performance; we know that we have. The impact of internal distracters can be much longer lasting and will have a greater impact on performance. Our cognitive processes do affect our physical ability and we certainly subscribe to the notion “if you believe you can or cannot, you are probably right”; so by improving our concentration skills it is possible to be more positive mentally.<br><br>We also know from the available research that only limited time is spent actually rehearsing concentration skills. These are skills, like any other skill, that require time to develop and without any training / practice will diminish over time. As such a number of techniques and strategies have been developed to improve concentration during training and competition:<ul> <li>Use simulation in practice</li> <li>Using positive self-talk or cue words</li> <li>Visualization</li> <li>Employ non-judgemental thinking</li> <li>Establish routines (embed those superstitions that we all have)</li> <li>Develop competition plans</li> <li>Practice eye control</li> <li>Stay focused on the present</li> <li>Overlearn skills</li>
</ul>While there are also a number of general (non-sport related) strategies that are also useful:
<ul> <li>Brain training computer programs – these range from simple apps on your smart phone to very expensive specifically designed neuroscience approaches</li> <li>
<a contents="Number grid" data-link-label="concentration-grid.docx" data-link-type="file" href="http://meshhypno.com/files/178633/concentration-grid.docx" target="_blank">Number grid</a> – 10x10 grid of two digit numbers. Put one minute on the clock and starting at 00 mark the numbers in sequential order (i.e. 00-01-02-03 etc.). Scores above 25 are considered good</li> <li>Shifting attention – use exercises to shift your focus from broad to narrow, or from external (seeing) to internal (visualising)</li> <li>Stork stand – stand on one leg, with your arms outstretched and eyes closed, for as long as possible</li> <li>Maintain focus – pick an object and concentrate on it, blocking out all distractions and irrelevant thoughts. Once you can do this for 5 minutes, specific distracters can be added</li>
</ul> <br>As we have regularly discussed in these newsletters, when we are performing well and in “flow” we do these things automatically. However, maintaining concentration over a sustained period of time is difficult (but not impossible). With appropriate training and practice we all can improve our concentration to focus on task relevant thoughts and give ourselves the best possible chance to perform at our peak.Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37407682015-06-14T17:55:54+10:002015-06-14T17:55:54+10:00Control the Controllables<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="font_regular"><em>Craig Alexander is quoted as saying, “Preparation is the cornerstone of confidence, which in turn is the cornerstone of success. Craig Alexander is quoted as saying, “Preparation is the cornerstone of confidence, which in turn is the cornerstone of success. You know what you are training for and you prepare accordingly physically and mentally. A level of calm comes from knowing that you’ve done that”.</em></span><br> </div> <span class="font_regular">Talk of controlling the controllables is common within all performance environments. The simple idea is that one individual cannot control the outcome, but they can take certain steps to manage performance and increase the likelihood of success. It is about handling stress levels. Stress is caused by an imbalance between the demand, dictated by the environment, and the individual’s ability to respond under conditions where failure has important consequences (McGrath, 1970). It contains 4 stages:</span><br><br><img 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" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" height="360" width="480" /><br> <br>Do we want to eliminate all physical and mental tension? No. Small amounts of tension are desirable when we want to be alert and attentive. Tension is only a problem when it starts to interfere with our natural coping mechanisms. As such we need to incorporate a range of coping strategies to achieve our own, individual, peak performance zone. Seminal research by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) describe coping as constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage stressful situations. The majority of research categorizes coping strategies into 3 areas:<br><br>1, Problem-Focused Coping: <span lang="EN-US" style='line-height: 107%; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;'>refers to strategies used to manage or alter the stressor. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style='line-height: 107%; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;'>PFC strategies should be most effective in CONTROLLABLE situations. </span><span lang="EN-US" style='line-height: 107%; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;'>Coping Strategies that serve a problem-focused function include: </span>
<ul> <li>Information gathering</li> <li>Goal setting</li> <li>Time management</li> <li>Problem solving</li>
</ul><br>2. Emotion-Focused Coping: <font color="#000000">refers to attempts at regulating emotional responses resulting from a stressor. EFC strategies should be most effective in UNCONTROLLABLE situations. Coping Strategies that serve an emotion-focused function include:</font>
<ul> <li><font color="#000000">Meditation</font></li> <li>Relaxation</li> <li><font color="#000000">Cognitive efforts to change the meaning an individual attaches to a situation</font></li>
</ul><br><font color="#000000">3. Avoidance Coping: Avoidance / disengagement coping reflects responses that people use to avoid or disengage from either the environmental stressor or from their emotions. These should be most adaptive when it prevents an uncontrollable negative situation from escalating. Coping strategies that serve an avoidance function include:</font>
<ul> <li><font color="#000000">Behavioural avoidance</font></li> <li><font color="#000000">Denial</font></li> <li>Wishful thinking</li>
</ul>
<p>Controlling the controllables is possible. Completing the required physical and technical training aids this by providing confidence in our preparation. Employing a more facilitative coping style also enhances our ability to control what we have the potential to control. However, when we cannot physically affect the situation employing emotion based strategies can prevent a things from getting out of control, while allowing us to maintain high levels of confidence in our ability to achieve.</p>Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37407672015-06-14T17:52:04+10:002015-06-14T17:52:04+10:00Self-ConfidenceIn 1954 Roger Bannister became the first person to break 4-minute for the mile. This had been seen as a physiological impossibility. Bannister however proved that this was more of a psychological barrier, as with the next 12 months over 30 other athletes managed to achieve this mark. This suggests that a large number of our limitations are in our mind and that confidence is about our perceived limitations.<br><br>Sport psychology literature distinguishes between self-confidence (the belief that you can successfully perform desired behaviours) and self-efficacy (a situation specific self-confidence). If self-confidence is a general trait i.e. good feelings you bring to a situation, self-efficacy is the belief in your ability to do specific things. The benefits of high levels of self-confidence include:<ul> <li>Positive emotions - <font color="#000000">Confident people are more calm & relaxed under pressure; more able to assert themselves when the time comes</font>
</li> <li>More concentration - <font color="#000000">More confidence = no worries; therefore more capacity for performance related issues</font>
</li> <li>Better goals - <font color="#000000">Confident people set more challenging goals and achieve them</font>
</li> <li>More effort - <font color="#000000">If you think you can achieve you will keep on trying</font>
</li> <li>Better strategies - <font color="#000000">Play to win rather than for a draw, or to avoid losing; use better more adventurous game play or tactics</font>
</li> <li>More momentum - <font color="#000000">Confidence breeds confidence and transfers from one performance to another both within and between sports (and life events)</font>
</li>
</ul>So the big question is how can we develop these? The main ideas haven’t changed from the initial work into self-efficacy be Albert Bandura (1977; 1982). He suggests that there are four key components:
<ol> <li>Performance accomplishment – mastery experiences (actually doing it) are the most powerful. This does depend on the frequency of success, perceived difficulty of the task, effort exerted, and guidance received. There is a need to succeed on a regular basis.</li> <li>Vicarious experience – seeing others doing it can be useful, especially when the performer has little or no experience of the task. There is an important role for modelling here, and following another’s example can be very motivating.</li> <li>Verbal persuasion – being talked into it. Receiving some encouragement and instructional feedback aids the development of self-efficacy. Coaches, teachers and significant others can play an influential role.</li> <li>Emotional arousal – the least powerful, but can be highly effective. Quite simply how one perceives oneself in terms of mood and state of body as separate from physiological arousal i.e. recognizing the butterflies in your stomach as a symbol that you are ready to perform rather than a sign of anxiety.</li>
</ol>Using a range of psychological strategies, like routines, goal setting and positive self-talk, can assist with the development of self-confidence and self-efficacy. We obviously use hypnosis to speed up the process, but as a general rule having high expectations does lead to higher levels of confidence. Try to keep all interactions positive and use each challenge as a learning and development opportunity.Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37407652015-06-14T17:49:51+10:002015-06-14T17:49:51+10:00Mental Toughness<strong>What is Mental Toughness?</strong><br><br>Mental Toughness refers to an individual’s resilience and inner drive to succeed – especially in challenging situations. It is a collection of values, attitudes, behaviours and emotions that enable a performer to persevere and overcome obstacles, adversity or pressure. Further it is the ability to maintain concentration, focus and motivation when things are going well to consistently achieve goals. There are some key characteristics of mentally tough athletes:<ul> <li>Remain calm and relaxed</li> <li>Have lower anxiety levels</li> <li>High self-belief</li> <li>Inner confidence they will be successful</li> <li>Remain unaffected by competition or adversity</li>
</ul>Clough et al. (2002) identified the core components of mental toughness to be: 1) Control – individuals are capable of exerting influence and are confident working on complex tasks; 2) Challenge – seek challenges as an opportunity for self-development; 3) Commitment – have a high level of persistence and an ability to ‘stick at it’; and 4) Confidence – a strong self-belief and take setbacks in their stride.<br><br><strong>Developing Mental Toughness</strong><br><br>While we acknowledge that most endurance athletes are mentally tough anyway (just getting out to train and compete takes guts), there are always steps we can take to develop this. It is important to note that the development of mental toughness can take a reasonable period of time:<ul> <li>Develop a task orientated motivational climate – this is focusing on your own development and progress, removing comparisons with others. By focusing on yourself you create a more intrinsic motivation, which leads to: higher persistence at a task; willingness to try new things; greater self-belief; and lower levels of anxiety.<br> </li> <li>Identify good sources of social support – significant others can create an environment that allows performers maximum opportunity to benefit in terms of character, attitude and thinking. Coaches / training partners can: create challenging practice environments; model mental toughness qualities; be positive in attitude. While family / close friends can: encourage ownership and responsibility; adopt an appropriate supportive involvement.<br> </li> <li>Learn from sport specific and life events – spend some time reflecting on each event and establish a method for what you would do if you found yourself in that situation again. This does not necessarily mean you chose an alternate response, but you could identify more efficient ways to do what you already do.<br> </li> <li>Practice mental skills – use visualisation (guided visualisation through hypnosis is highly effective), positive self-talk, thought stopping techniques, goal setting, arousal / anxiety regulation processes to help develop mental toughness. The use of routines are highly recommended. (Note – we have covered some of these topics in previous newsletters and will discuss others in future newsletters)<br> </li>
</ul><strong>Mental Toughness Activity</strong><br><br>This is an approach that we have taken when working with professional athletes and sports teams. Spend a bit of time responding to each of the questions, as this will help you to develop your mental toughness ability. Revisit your answers regularly to aid development.<ol> <li>Personal motivation for participation <ul> <li>Why do you participate in sport?</li> </ul> </li>
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<ol> <li value="2">Tough attitudes quotations <ul> <li>What are some quotes related to being mentally tough?</li> </ul> </li>
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<ol> <li value="3">Sources of self-belief <ul> <li>What makes you confident (in sport and daily life)?</li> </ul> </li>
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<ol> <li value="4">Favourite persister exercise <ul> <li>What have other people done when facing adversity?</li> </ul> </li>
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<ol> <li value="5">About yourself exercise <ul> <li>What can you do in challenging situations?</li> </ul> </li>
</ol><br>We have a purposefully designed MP3 download that aims to make you <a contents="Mentally Tougher" data-link-label="Store" data-link-type="page" href="http://meshhypno.com/store" target="_blank">Mentally Tougher</a>. Mental toughness also underpins our <a contents="Peak Performance" data-link-label="Face-to-Face Products" data-link-type="page" href="http://meshhypno.com/face-to-face-products" target="_blank">Peak Performance</a> face-to-face package.Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37407642015-06-14T17:47:41+10:002015-06-14T17:47:41+10:00The Psychology of Peak PerformancePeak performance is when our behaviour exceeds our average performance or an episode of superior functioning. Or as Gerson (2006) put it, “Performance that is significantly above average or normal”. Peak performance is a consequence of both physical and psychological factor, with the key characteristics being: No fear of failure; No over-analysis of performance; Total immersion in the activity; Narrow focus of attention; Effortless performance; Feelings of control; and Time / space disorientation (usually everything feels in slow motion). This experience is commonly called “being in flow” or “in the zone”.<br>Within performance psychology we aim to enhance the ability to reach this “flow” state by:<ul> <li>Maintaining a positive attitude</li> <li>Following precompetition plans</li> <li>Optimizing physical preparation</li> <li>Attaining optimal arousal levels</li> <li>Achieving appropriate motivation</li> <li>Focusing on the task</li> <li>Keeping positive interactions</li>
</ul>Breaking this down further, peak performance coaches cover 10 key aspects to aid the achievement of “flow”:
<ol> <li>Goal setting – developing some accountability for actions; and should be based on the SMART method, embracing both long and short term goals (we cover this in the previous newsletter)</li> <li>Motivation – the direction, intensity, duration and quality of effort. Best results come when we have chosen to participate as a method for developing ourselves</li> <li>Self-belief – best developed by regular accomplishment, but can also be assisted by vicarious experience and verbal persuasion</li> <li>Management of emotions – particularly reducing negative thoughts and finding an arousal level that best suits our own performance</li> <li>Attentional control – improving concentration and removing distractions. Using routines can be really useful here</li> <li>Cognitive development – there needs to be a learning process to aid development of peak performance (i.e. what did you take from your last performance?)</li> <li>Imagery – using all of the senses to create or re-create an experience in the mind</li> <li>Life balance – regularly overlooked, but highly important to manage health and wellbeing (particularly because decision making is impaired when stressed)</li> <li>Working with others – there are always going to be others that you are required to interact with, even in individual sports. Working towards shared objectives is essential</li> <li>Dealing with change – choosing the most appropriate coping strategy to deal with the specific situation</li>
</ol>Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37407582015-06-14T17:46:00+10:002020-01-06T10:39:18+11:00Goal SettingGoal Setting<br><br>Task 1 – List the sorts of goals that you might set with respect to your life and in particular sport performance<br> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 308px;"> <br> <br> </td> <td style="width: 308px;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 308px;"> <br> <br> </td> <td style="width: 308px;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 308px;"> <br> <br> </td> <td style="width: 308px;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 308px;"> <br> <br> </td> <td style="width: 308px;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 308px;"> <br> <br> </td> <td style="width: 308px;"> </td> </tr>
</tbody></table> <br><br>Goals - "An objective, a standard, the aim of an action or a level of performance/proficiency"<br><br>The general goal categories are:<ul> <li>Outcome goals – Focus on the outcome of an event or action and usually involve some form of social comparison (i.e. winning a race)</li> <li>Performance goals – Specify an end product of performance that will be achieved by the performer relatively independently of others (i.e. completing in a certain time)</li> <li>Process goals – Specify the sorts of processes that an individual should engage in during performance (i.e. doing a weekly core stability session; maintaining knee lift while sprinting)</li>
</ul>Goal setting can be used on both individual and team basis but must always be reviewed regularly if they are going to have any real benefit. Research has identified a number of reasons to set goals:
<ul> <li>Direct attention and action</li> <li>Mobilise and regulate the amount of effort expenditure</li> <li>Prolong persistence</li> <li>Encourage the development of new strategies for performance</li> <li>Goal achievement can affect psychological states such as confidence, anxiety and satisfaction</li> <li>Athletes who set only outcome goals have lower self confidence and suffer higher anxiety levels in competition</li>
</ul><strong>Goal setting tactics</strong><br>The acronym SMARTER is well used in goal setting literature and highlights the key criteria that goals should have if they are to be achieved.<ul> <li>Specific – indicate precisely what is to be done</li> <li>Measurable – can quantify the goals</li> <li>Action Orientated – indicate something that needs to be done</li> <li>Realistic – goal is achievable</li> <li>Time Phased – have a time frame for each goal</li> <li>Exciting – increases interest and will to achieve</li> <li>Recordable – can keep a record of progress</li>
</ul>There are a few simple steps to remember when setting goals:
<ul> <li>Set goals based on previous performances</li> <li>Set goals that can be assessed by the performer and do not require external comparison</li> <li>Start easy and get tougher</li> <li>Match goals to the performers perceived ability</li> <li>Set both long-term and short-term goals</li> <li><strong><em>Short term goals are used as “stepping stones” towards long-term goals</em></strong></li> <li><strong><em>For every outcome goal there should be many performance and process goals</em></strong></li> <li>Outcome goals are necessary if you want to win</li> <li>Performance goals inform</li> <li>Process goals direct attention and aid concentration</li> <li>Set different goals for practice and competition</li>
</ul><strong>Problems in goal setting</strong><br>There are common elements that can be identified when people fail to achieve their goals and coaches / athletes should be aware of these before starting a goal setting program. These include: failing to set specific goals; setting too many goals too soon; convincing individuals to set goals; failing to adjust goals; failing to set performance and process goals; and not providing follow-up and evaluation.Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosistag:meshhypno.com,2005:Post/37407572015-06-14T17:44:28+10:002015-06-14T17:44:28+10:00Using ImageryIt is suggested that we can spend over 40% of our time daydreaming, which many people would accept cannot be good for achieving peak performance. However, daydreaming is a form of visualization, which has been utilised in many domains to help prepare and focus to achieve optimal performance levels. The big issue with just daydreaming is that the images are not within our control. The key to getting the most benefit from visualization is to develop vivid images where we see ourselves being successful. Further to increase the effectiveness of imagery we need to create or recreate an experience that:<ol> <li>Mimics the physical experience</li> <li>We are consciously aware of</li> <li>Utilizes all the senses</li>
</ol> The terms visualization, imagery, and mental rehearsal for all intensive purposes describe the same thing – mental practice. Mental practice is one of the most common skills utilised in training programs for peak performance. The principle use of imagery is to gain confidence, regulate emotions, increase attention and enhance self-awareness in performance or to assist with skill acquisition and problem solving (Hallett & Hoffman, 2014). There are numerous different theories suggesting how visualization works (Psychonueromuscular theory, Jacobsen, 1930; Symbolic Learning theory, Sackett, 1934; Bio-Informational Theory, Lang, 1979; Triple-Code theory, Ashen, 1984; to name a few). With the basic premise of each proposing that a blueprint is created, where the muscles are activated (to a lower level), which embeds a preferred outcome in our mind to increase confidence and manage emotional response. The simple fact is that it works. This has been proven in numerous peak performance settings. In fact one of the greatest shifts in scientific paradigms resulted from the deliberate use of mental imagery.<br> <div style="text-align: center;">“Albert Einstein describes how he was able to conceptualize his theory of relativity by visualizing how the world would look to him as he travelled inside a beam of light. Einstein didn’t actually travel at light speed, but he saw the world <em>as if</em> [italics added] he did, which allowed him to believe in a wondrous theoretical development in science” (Vealey & Greenleaf, 1998, p. 237)<br> </div> An area that can be particularly effective in utilising imagery is hypnosis. Robertson (2002) noted that under hypnosis a person learns to release certain capacities in their brain and change its state, with imagery being crucial to this. Because the hypnosis process helps to guide the person to create more vivid and controllable images, which increase self-awareness, the individual can gain a greater benefit from the process.<br> So how can we gain the most benefit from this technique? We know that mental practice is better than no practice at all. We also know that we get more effective results by using mental practice and physical practice in combination; with the research identifying a 75% physical practice to 25% mental practice ratio providing best results.<br>Make your visualization more powerful, allowing yourself to perform at your peak, by following these simple tips (with the emphasis being on the quality of your visualization):<ol> <li>Do it regularly – spend 10-20 minutes each day visualizing your performance</li> <li>Control the image – make sure you are being successful. If not, stop and start over</li> <li>Use all of your sense – see, hear, feel, smell and taste the experience. Make it real</li> <li>Feel your confidence grow – when you perform perfectly</li> <li>Practice the skill – like any skill you need to train. If possible it can help to work with a specialist to develop your abilities and be guided through the process</li>
</ol>Melbourne Endurance Sport Hypnosis