Mental Conditioning

        Allowing our minds to get cluttered with ANTs(Automatic Negative Thoughts) is probably the number one reason why athletes' struggle .... on and off the field.


     The more and more I train my college/NFL athletes, the more and more I realize the importance of mental conditioning. All great players experience some form of 'performance anxiety'. And in the end, the level of this anxiety will be determined by our knowledge(or lack of) how the human mind actually works.


     During my playing days,  I was 'my own worst critic'. Not only did I worry about being 'accepted' as a football player, but I constantly dreaded about 'letting my team down'...... This might have served as good motivation.... a 'dangling carrot' if you will. But in hindsight, I would've approached things differently


      Due to the current 'big business' arena of college and professional athletics, there are a multitude of 'stressors' that can trigger 'performance anxiety'.......Money, relationships, academics, pride, EGO, guilt, shame ....... the list is endless. To get our hands around 'mental conditioning', we must first  define performance anxiety. 


       Performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially (for example, when performing before a camera). In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common of phobias. Such anxiety may precede or accompany participation in any activity involving public self-presentation. In some cases stage fright may be a part of a larger pattern of social phobia or social anxiety disorder, but many people experience stage fright without any wider problems. Quite often, stage fright arises in a mere anticipation of a performance, often a long time ahead. It has numerous manifestations: fluttering or pounding heart, tremor in the hands and legs, sweaty hands, diarrhea, facial nerve tics, dry mouth. For more information, see (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_anxiety).
      
     Thirteen(13) years removed from the game, I've discovered that when it comes to anxiety, 'our pain is self chosen'..... Meaning ....... we actually choose to let external circumstances(things we can't control) distract us. And in doing so, our  performance(s) can/will be effected negatively. So the real question is "What's the secret to offsetting the ANTs?" ........... The remedy might surprise you. 


     The answer can be found in the story about the athlete who said to his doctor, "Hey Doc, it hurts when I do this"...... and the doctor simply replied,  "Well..., don't do that!". 


     Sounds simple, but the only way to overcome these ANTs is through education, hard work, preparation and practice. The only thing we can control is the 'process' ... the time between 'catch to kick' ...... or basically 1.2 seconds. So when we discover 'how' to focus on 'what we can control'(the process), the 'product' of our actions(results) will take care of itself.


    ......... UG


'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle is a 'must read' on the road to mental wellness ........