Book read mental skills are not enough…
Book read mental skills are often not enough…
Sport Psychologists regularly teach and support athletes with mental skills. Mental skills including attentional focus strategies, goal setting, arousal control, imagery and self-talk are essential for effective performance. They enhance enjoyment, goal attainment, balance and commitment.
Whilst, basic mental skills can be learned from reading a book or listening to a podcast, to be most effective, mental skills can be individually tailored to the sport, the individual, the specific need and the environment in which they are being used. Sport Psychologists are aware of the specific needs of athletes of all ages and stages. Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologists have studied the specific needs of athletes and performers and can assist with tailoring mental skills to an individual’s specific needs, personality, coping and environment.
Mental skills alone however, will not fully support an athlete. If an individual’s mental health or well-being is not optimal, the effectiveness of mental skills will be limited.
Sport and Exercise Psychologists are educated and aware of the specific mental health issues that impact the active population, such as performance pressure, perfectionism, identity, transition stages, body image and refocusing. They can help identify, assess and address underlying cognitive, emotional, personality, perpetuating and self-limiting factors that impact enjoyment, satisfaction, motivation, confidence and effective performance.
Research also indicates that
- early teaching of mental skills and strategies the promote positive mental health and well-being increases likelihood of reaching our later when needed.
- positive, open attitudes of support people to help seeking behaviors lead to more help seeking when needed.
Contact us to speak further.
Reifsteck, E. J., DeAnne, D. B., Seo, Y., Beisecker, L., Rao, N., & Chandran, A. (2023). Call it an “Evolution”: Promoting student-athlete well-being during the transition from collegiate sport. Journal of Athletic Training, 58(9), 697-703.
Pilkington, V., Rice, S., Olive, L., Walton, C., & Purcell, R. (2024). Athlete mental health and wellbeing during the transition into elite sport: Strategies to prepare the system. Sports Medicine – Open, 10(1), 24.
Help Seeking for all
Help Seeking Behaviour
Stigma appears to be decreasing but still exists. Given that the brain is the body’s control centre, good mental health has endless benefits. Good mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness, it is the ability to function well and cope with challenges in a meaningful way. It impacts physical psychological and cognitive functions and capabilities.
Help seeking is influenced by positive attitudes of support people, including family, friends and coaches. When significant others’ encourage help seeking and model help seeking behaviours, an individual is more likely to see it as part of having a healthy life. Encouraging early help seeking behaviours can also facilitate ongoing help seeking as needed during different life stages and challenges.
As well as stigma, other barriers to help seeking include: lack of accessibility and knowledge. Did you know that GP’s are able to make referrals to psychologists which enables patients to claim a portion of the fee via medicare? Also, many psychologist offer telehealth appointments making services more accessible to people living in rural areas.
Transition stages including: into elite sport, away from elite sport, changing clubs and competition levels are associated with exposure to mental health risk factors. If help seeking is an acceptable part of everyday life, then athletes are more likely to locate the support they need during these times.
Psychologists are not just for when people suffer significant mental health issues, or life challenges. Psychologists help people function to their potential in every day life. Everyone experiences challenges and obstacles and would benefit from reflecting on their coping strategies, resilience, emotional responses and connections.
Book an appointment to reflect on your coping strategies, resilience, emotions and connections.
Short on time?
Athletes, executives, coaches, students, employees and parents are all busy people.
Busy people often become very effective at managing their time. However, busy people can become so good at managing time, that they attempt to fit extra events or tasks into an already busy day.
Sometimes busy people become so focused on their to do list, that they feel like they should be able to get everything done.
What is important to you?
When asked this question, many people say relationships are a high priority. But when people are busily moving efficiently from one task to another, the tasks rather than the relationships can easily become the main focus.
It might be useful to take time today to ensure you are managing your time wisely, doing things that are high on your priority list and being present in important relationships.
If you are having difficulty with time management, please be in touch or make an appointment.
Getting Back into the Routine
Over the past 2 weeks, I have heard many people say that they are looking forward to getting back into a regular routine. They are talking about the regular routines of exercise, working, socialising, childcare and school. Many regular routines stop over the festive season and although many people enjoy a break from the usually, they seem to like it when their routines resume.
Routines are usually good for physical and mental health. Routines have many benefits including helping to reduce stress, enhance healthy behaviours, improve sleep, increase motivation, allow for regular social activity and assist with time management.
It can be useful to consider
Making regular routines for exercise, sleep, meals and socialising.
However, ensure routines are flexible and allow for changing circumstances, health and low energy levels.
Inflexible routines can increase stress.
If you are having trouble getting back into your routines, making routines or relying too much on routines to regular mood or stress, please be in touch.
Busy Times
December can be a busy time of year, with work deadlines, school activities, functions, shopping, checklists and more. Many people experience stress from the business of this time of year and consequently, relationships and interactions may also become more taxing.
“To do” lists can help us prioritise between urgent and important tasks and non- urgent and unimportant tasks. List can assist people to feel organised and manage their time well. They can increase the chances of completing vital jobs, help with motivation and lead to feelings of satisfaction. Lists are a good way to feel more organised and get tasks completed.
Close reliance on lists however, can lead to ignorance of a top priority for most people; that being relationships. When people are fixated on getting through their to do lists and making progress on tasks, interruption from other people or things can be unwelcome. Focusing purely on tasks and not responding to other people may result in regret, guilt or dissatisfaction.
A balance between being organised and flexible is often the key to feelings satisfied. If you have the tendency to become list focused when busy, and desire to be more people focused, add engaging daily with your loved ones to you urgent and important list until it becomes second nature. If you want further assistance becoming more involved and connected with people in your life, contact us.
Small Group Mental Skills Sessions
Small Group Mental Skills Sessions
Focus Performance Psychology is seeking expressions of interest for educational small group mental skills sessions about:
- Goal setting and motivation
- Concentration
- Managing nerves and anxiety, effective time management and utilising relaxation.
- Confidence and perfectionism.
Groups will be online and face to face.
Participants can form their own group, or can be placed in a small group with people similar interests.
If you would like to be contacted regarding participation in educational small groups, please contact us.
Exercise for Health
We all know that regular exercise or sport involvement is important for good physical and mental health. Exercise improves mobility, strength ands fitness, decreases disease risk and improves general well-being as well as cognitive, social, emotional and mental health.
Some people need to exercise for imminent health reasons but find it difficult to get started or keep going. Meeting with a Sport Psychologist at FOCUS Performance Psychology can assist you to explore the obstacles to regular exercise.
The World Health Organisation reports that many people do not get the recommended amount of physical activity per week to help maintain good physical health. People often report being too busy or unmotivated to adhere to recommendations. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
Regular exercise can promote good physical health by assisting with disease prevention, symptom reduction, pain management and recovery. Physicians and exercise physiologists may also recommend regular exercise to assist with recovery from injury, illness, injury or surgery however many people struggle to adhere to these recommendations over time.
There are many emotional, social and cognitive health benefits of exercise, including:
Time management,
Stress management,
Problem solving,
Reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression
Improving sleep
Enhancing general well-being
Providing opportunities for social engagement
There can be historical complex emotional and psychological reasons why health behaviour change can be so difficult.
If you struggle to maintain health behavior change, find time to engage in health related behaviours, become unusually tired, lack motivation, are anxious about change or may have another psychological or emotional barrier, previous experiences, motivational factors, self-efficacy for change or and confidence may be playing a part.
Sport Psychology for Dancers
Performance psychology is especially beneficial for dancers, whose physical mastery, mental focus, and emotional regulation are all crucial to success.
Focus and Concentration
Dance requires precision and constant attention to technique during training, rehearsal and performance. Focus strategies can assist with skill development as well as learning and retaining choreography. Dancers often perform in high-pressure environments. Techniques like mindfulness and attention control enable them to remain focused on their performance, regardless of external factors.
Nerves and Anxiety
Dancers early in their career or during careers transitions, may often experience anxiety before performances. Mental strategies such as abdominal breathing, visualisation, and relaxation techniques can reduce anxiety and increase confidence, but often need to be tailored towards an individual’s needs. Learning to manage stress is crucial for dancers, especially during demanding rehearsals or long performance schedules. Performance psychology helps dancers handle this stress to avoid burnout.
Fluidity and artistry in performance
Dancers benefit from entering a “flow” state, where movements feel effortless and they are fully immersed in their performance. Performance psychology helps dancers access this state by teaching them how to let go of self-doubt and trust their training. By minimising mental distractions, dancers can focus more on the artistic expression of their performance, enhancing their ability to convey emotion and engage the audience.
Resilience and Mental Toughness
Handling setbacks from Injuries, criticism, and tough rehearsals are part of a dancer’s life. Performance psychology builds mental toughness, enabling them to cope with disappointment, recover from injury, and stay motivated through adversity. Dancers often have perfectionistic tendencies, which can lead to undue stress. Learning to balance the pursuit of excellence with self-compassion and acceptance of mistakes as part of the learning process is essential.
Imagery and Mental Rehearsal
Imagery is a powerful tool in dance. By mentally rehearsing choreography, dancers can reinforce muscle memory, making their movements more precise and fluid on stage. Mental rehearsal can also boost confidence, calm and assured as performances often feel more confident and prepared when they step on stage.
Goal-Setting and Motivation
Performance psychology encourages dancers to set clear, achievable goals, which can be broken down into smaller steps which helps with motivation and a sense of accomplishment as each goal is met. Dancers learn to balance intrinsic motivation (personal satisfaction, love of dance) with extrinsic motivation (competitions, accolades) to stay passionate and driven in their careers.
Emotional Regulation
Dance often requires the expression of deep emotions on stage. Performance psychology helps them tap into these emotions while maintaining control of their mental and physical performance. Outside of performance, dancers may face emotional challenges like fear of failure or comparison with others. Performance psychology provides tools to regulate emotions, maintain perspective, and reduce the impact of negative feelings on performance.
Team Dynamics and Collaboration
Dancers often need to perform in sync with others, making teamwork and communication critical. Performance psychology fosters better understanding and collaboration, allowing them to feel more cohesive as a group. For dancers who take on leadership roles, performance psychology offers tools for effective communication, guidance, and support for fellow dancers, enhancing the overall performance of the troupe.
Injury Recovery and Prevention
Recovery from injury can be both physically and mentally challenging. Performance psychology helps dancers stay motivated during rehab, focus on the healing process, and return stronger both mentally and physically. Mind-body techniques, such as body awareness and stress management, reduce tension, improving movement efficiency and reducing the likelihood of injury.
Body Image and Self-Esteem
Performers are often subject to intense scrutiny regarding their appearance. Performance psychology can help them develop a healthier relationship with their body image and foster self-acceptance.
Sustaining a Long Career
Dance requires immense physical and emotional investment, and without proper mental health strategies, dancers may experience burnout. Performance psychology teaches dancers how to manage their energy, balance their life, and maintain passion for their art over time. By incorporating performance psychology, ballet dancers can enhance their mental strength, emotional resilience, and artistic expression, all of which contribute to a successful and fulfilling career in dance.
Sleep
Sleep
Many people have trouble sleeping at some point in the life. Some find it difficult to get to sleep, some find it hard staying asleep through the night, others unintentionally wake early.
Is there a right amount of sleep? Most adults function best when they have had 7or 8 hours sleep, but some people function well on 6 hours and others need 9 hours. The “right amount” of sleep varies from person to person. If you wake feeling rested and function well most days, you are most likely getting enough sleep. At some particularly busy or stressful times, people may benefit from additional sleep.
What happens if we don’t get enough sleep? People can function on decreased sleep for short time, but over longer periods of time it effects mental health, cognitive functioning and emotional well-being. Ongoing compromised sleep can affect physical and social health.
Should I be worried if I don’t get enough sleep? Worrying makes sleeping less likely. Try to do something relaxing and during dal light hours, make a plan to help you sleep routine.
What can I do to help my sleeping patterns? Some simple things include not having caffeine for several hours prior to bedtime, having a regular bed time routine, not doing anything to stimulating close to bed time (like watching an exciting movie or problem solving), limiting screen time in the hours prior to bed, writing down thoughts that keep you awake, and doing relaxation at bed time.
What if these things don’t work? There can be psychological and emotional reasons why people find it difficult to sleep. Talking with a psychologist can help.
What Makes Humans Happy?
What Makes Humans Happy?
A combination of psychological, social, and biological factors influence the happiness felt by humans. The specific sources of happiness can vary from person to person, however some commonly reported elements include having strong social connections, autonomy, positive physical and mental health, a sense of purpose and meaning and work-life balance.
Feeling physically, financially and psychologically safe contributes to peace of mind and happiness. Moreover, humans are fundamentally social creatures, and having strong, supportive relationships, feeling connected and having a sense of belonging allows people to experience love, trust, and companionship. At the same time, when people feel they have the freedom to choose their path and influence their environment, they experience greater satisfaction.
Physical well-being, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep, has an impact on mood and overall happiness. Maintaining good mental health, including managing stress, anxiety, and depression, is equally important. Engaging in activities that align with personal values and goals through work or hobbies, provides a sense of purpose, which is essential for long-term fulfillment. Mindfulness can help individuals appreciate what they have and remain present, reducing stress and negative emotions, as well as allowing deep enjoyment from chosen activities.
Maintaining a healthy balance between work and leisure is important for reducing stress and increasing life satisfaction. Having time to relax, pursue interests, and spend with loved ones is crucial for well-being.