Tag Archives: sports

Developing New Habits:
“I never exercise the way I should. I went to the gym twice and then gave up.”

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"Long Drive" by Mimi Stuart ©
Live the Life you Desire

It is not easy to change old habits, but it can be done. Research shows that people who are successful in developing new habits, such as exercising, tend to apply the following guidelines to motivate themselves:

1. Focus on pleasure. Frame your new habit in terms of what will give you pleasure. Remind yourself that you’re choosing a healthy lifestyle, which is more pleasurable than one of inactivity.

Choose a sport or exercise that interests you or that will bring you joy. Don’t go to the gym if you’d rather go on a walk outside. Figure out a way to enjoy the activity, such as doing it to music or with a friend.

2. Make a step-by step plan. Having a series of intermediate goals rather than one over-arching goal diminishes your fear of failure and the magnitude of the goal.

3. Implement change in increments. We can change our habits dramatically if we change them incrementally.

Consistency is key. So start with realistic expectations of yourself. For example, start with a minimum of five or ten minutes of exercise a day, though you might aspire to an hour a day. You’re more likely to develop a new habit if your goals are achievable. Starting is the hard part. Once you start walking or swimming and enjoying it, it’s easier to stay out longer.

4. Reflect on regrets and benefits. Think of how much you’ll regret it if you don’t exercise. Research shows that a few moments of reflecting on potential regret will motivate a person to get started.

5. Tell your family and friends. Telling others of your goals helps motivate you to achieve them and might also encourage them to participate. When you state your goals publicly, you increase your motivation to live up to them, and you also garner the support of others.

6. Reward yourself. Be grateful for every step you take and give yourself a reward for every intermediate goal achieved.

Exercise becomes easier the more you pursue it, because it triggers mood-enhancing endorphins, and gives you more energy, health, and vitality, making it increasingly desirable in itself.

by Dr. Alison Poulsen

Read “Sports Psychology I — GOALS: ‘I really want to win, but I never do.'”

Reference: Richard Wiseman, Author of “59 Seconds: Think a little, Change a lot.”

Sports Psychology & Coaching Effectively: “I told you not to pull the kite in and drop the board!”

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Click on the picture below to watch the short video:

Everyone learns slightly differently. However, there are some general rules of thumb for coaching and teaching sports that hold true for most people.

1. Keep it simple. Focus on one thing at a time until it becomes a good habit. Then add a new element. Avoid giving too much information and lists of things to think about or the athlete will become overwhelmed or confused.

2. Focus on the positive. It can be helpful to show the right technique in contrast to the wrong technique so you can really see the clear difference. But you don’t want to focus too much on what not to do. Otherwise those negative images are the ones that stay in the athlete’s mind.

3. Be encouraging. Build on what the student does well rather than focusing on everything he or she did poorly. Avoid scolding.

4. Take small steps. Avoid foolish and overly difficult expectations. People generally learn best when they can have success and then build on their successes.

5. Be specific. People learn better when you are precise rather than vague and open-ended.

6. Have fun. Sports are about having fun and enjoying yourself.

by Dr. Alison Poulsen
Healthy Relationships and
Effective Communication

@alisonpoulsen
https://www.facebook.com/dralisonpoulsen

Watch “Couples should pursue their individual passions for happiness.”

Read “Sports Psychology: ‘I don’t want to fail and disappoint the coach.’”

Read “Performance Anxiety: ‘I want to be totally relaxed instead of anxious when I compete in sports or engage in public speaking.’”

Sports Psychology IV—Gameday: “It’s pretty cold and windy today; I don’t feel like going.”

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"On Fire" Steve Mahre by Mimi Stuart
Live the Life you Desire

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier & Coach:

Don’t just be competitive on “Game Day.” I hear parents always touting that their child is very competitive. Oftentimes I see these same kids getting frustrated because they can’t accomplish something in a performance-day setting without ever realizing that they didn’t do what it takes in practice to accomplish their objectives.

IF you or your child/student are sore losers on game day, oftentimes that is because you only want it bad enough on Game Day. “Want it” everyday and one day you will begin to have more success.

Alison:

Focus on the moment instead of thinking about the result you want or worrying about failure. Focusing on the present moment during every practice trains the brain to focus in the moment at a competition.

Yet, some people who are generally consistent with their performance have problems during competition because of their emotions and nerves. It helps to conjure up nerves during practice by imagining that you’re in competition. It also helps to use imagery to see yourself performing well under pressure.

Mix it up in training to conjure up some excitement and nerves. For example, in water skiing, go to different lakes, ski in different conditions, or have different people in the boat to get you used to the anxiety of skiing under different circumstances. However, there is nothing that beats getting used to the pressure by competing in a lot of tournaments.

by Alison Poulsen, Phd, and

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier and Coach
Owner of H2OProShop.com
To ski with Seth, checkout SethStisher.com
Toll Free: 866.213.7993

Read “Sports Psychology: Training and Practice.”

Sports Psychology II—Attitude:
“We should have won. The referees don’t know what they’re doing!”

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"Precision Line" — Mariano Rivera by Mimi Stuart
Live the Life you Desire

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier & Coach:

Positive attitude is good, but I believe there should be a good degree of realism in your optimism. As many mental coaches advise, setting unattainable goals is a recipe for COMPLETE failure.

On that note, accepting some failure along the way is necessary. How you accept this failure will separate you from the competition. Failure is merely a reminder that hard work and smart work are necessary for real gains.

Alison:

Our physical attitude usually reflects our mental attitude. Our bodies perform best when we are both relaxed and intently focused in the moment. Therefore, a mental attitude that promotes fluidity and power is optimal. Strong negative emotions can cause your muscles to stiffen. So, deal with errors without becoming frustrated.

Look at the attitude young children have when they learn to walk. They observe and practice. When they fall down, they get right back up and keep trying, taking physical or mental note on what worked and what did not work. The best learning occurs without whining or outbursts, but through calm awareness and presence.

by Alison Poulsen, Phd, and

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier and Coach
Owner of H2OProShop.com
To ski with Seth, checkout SethStisher.com
Toll Free: 866.213.7993

Read “Sports Psychology: I’m terrible at this sport. I can never get it right.”

Sports Psychology I — GOALS:
“I really want to win, but I never do.”

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"Touch the Sky" Sir Edmund Hillary by Mimi Stuart
First successful expedition to summit Mt. Everest

Live the Life you Desire

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier & Coach:

What do you want to accomplish with practice? Ask yourself why you do your sport? You must start first with an overall objective in order to decide what specific goals will get you there. Also remember it is not always about the destination, but also about the journey.

Water skiing, for example, is a sport where you have no ability to affect your competitors’ performance to any high degree. For this reason, it is important to keep your goals and objectives focused around things you have control over.

It is also important to state goals that will yield other goals. For example, “I want to make sure I take focused practice sets where I am prepared before I go out on the water.” This goal helps with your next goal of learning to run the course by the end of the season or learning to run that next tough pass in the slalom course.

Alison:

To set a goal, you need to be clear about what it will accomplish for you in your life. If your goal is limited to proving to yourself or others that you are adequate or superior, then you’re likely to be frustrated, unhappy, and miss out on other types of enjoyment.

Do you practice your sport for the exercise or the adventure and camaraderie in a beautiful environment? For the challenge of improving your results in competition? Or for the sense of accomplishment after hard work and practice? For the occasional timeless feeling of being in the zone? Or for the enjoyment of the physical feeling of a clean move or the thrill of speed?

The more reasons you have for pursuing a sport the better. If you have a competitive goal, whether it’s going for a world record or your personal best, enjoying the many other facets of a sport helps buoy you in times of challenge and defeat.

by Alison Poulsen, Phd, and

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier and Coach
Owner of H2OProShop.com
To ski with Seth, checkout SethStisher.com
Toll Free: 866.213.7993

Read “Sports Psychology: I’m terrible at this sport. I can never get it right.”