Overthinking.

Overthinking is dwelling on, or spending more time thinking about something than is useful. It can waste time, lead to excessive worry and doubt, make it difficult to be present and negatively impact performance.

A lot has been written about overthinking because so many people engage in it so frequently. Athletes can be especially prone to overthinking: pre-performance, during performance, post-performance and even sometimes at training.

Some examples of overthinking are:

• Persistent thoughts that you might forget the math formula during the test.
• Having worried thoughts during the course of the competition day that your rival might win the race again.
• Overthinking physical technique that has been learned and is now relatively automatic, rather than trusting your training.
• Spending lots of time thinking through your technique when the training session didn’t go as well as hoped, rather than trusting the coach that this is unusual for you, and is most likely not related to technique issues.

One key to reducing overthinking is increasing self-awareness. The more you become aware of your triggers to overthink, the sources of your thought patterns and emotions and the impacts of overthinking, the more likely you will be able to reduce or manage it. Studies have shown that Mental Skills Training also reduces overthinking and enhance resilience and performance in sport and in academics. Making the most of your thoughts will enhance well being and performance. For more information please be in contact.