• Question: What can put people in good/bad frames of mind?

    Asked by spikeandjosh to Helen, Mark on 24 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Helen O'Connor

      Helen O'Connor answered on 24 Jun 2011:

      Hi spike – thanks for your great questions on the chat earlier. With athletes there are quite a few things that might put them in a bad frame of mind (and that might ruin their performance). These include

      1. Losing their last match/competition – this can make them think more about their previous failure, instead of what they can do right now.
      2. The crowd can be against that athlete – booing them or just not supporting them. This often happens in away matches.
      3. They just had an argument with someone – coach, girl/boyfriend, parents, teammate – and they are still tihnking about it and feeling tense or angry about it
      4. Conditions (weather/temperature) aren’t ideal and they start worrying it will intefere with their performance
      5. Refereering mistake (red card) which can lead to anger and frustration
      And lots more things too….All of these things can affect performance.

      What I do with athletes first is to help them realise what they CAN control, and to ignore the things they CAN’T control.

      You can’t control the weather, your coach, or what the ref or the opposition or crowd do: but you CAN control how you react to these things.

      So, instead of thinking “its cold and rainy, I never do as well in these conditions” think “I am well prepared, i have been training right, eating right, i am in good shape, and everyone else has to cope with these conditions too – I can still do a good performance”.

      Its hard to ignore all the crappy things that happen in our lives – but remember you can’t control things outside of you, you can only control you and your reactions to those things!

      Hope this helps! Let me know if you want to know more.

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