What is a Transition?

There are a number of definitions on transitions as well including –

• “the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another” ~ Google
• “movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject or concept etc., to another” ~ Dictionary.com
• “a change from one state or condition to another” ~ Merriam-Webster

According to William Bridges in his book Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, transitions are psychological and have a 3 phase process (see below), whereas change is situational. In his books Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes and Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, he talks about the process of transition having three phases –

1. an ending (letting go of a situation);
2. a neutral zone (the confusing or distressing area of in-betweenness)
3. a new beginning (launching in to a new situation).

How Do Transitions Apply to Sport?

There are many transitions in sport and some of them are bigger transitions than others. However, it also depends on how we look at them. For example – retiring from sport can be more challenging than driving home each day from training (which is also a transition), however even this example can depend on a variety of variables.

Wylleman, Alfermann and Lavallee (2004) propose four transitional phases an athlete experience throughout their sport. They are –

1. Athletic development level (e.g. starting in the sport, developing in the sport, sport mastery, retirement),
2. Psychological development (e.g. moving from adolescence into adulthood, elite to professional),
3. Psych-social development (e.g. coach-athlete relationships, family relationships and new teammates).
4. Education and professional development (e.g moving from primary to secondary to university to professional development).

Following are some other examples of what could be perceived as bigger transitions that occur in sport, however please remember many activities in life can be a transition –

• attracting a new sponsorship deal (or losing one),
• being separated from family and friends,
• getting married,
• getting injured or coming back from injury,
• having a child,
• moving countries to train and travelling as an athlete in general, or
• living on your own for the first time.

Reflection Questions –

What are the Transitions You have Experienced in your Sport?

1. Think back on all of the transitions you have had in your sport.
2. What type of transitions have you experienced? Have you experienced changes in your team / relationships (family, friends and others), your body, finances and /or responsibilities.

When you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and living whole-heartedly (i.e. across sport and life), you are also welcome to join our newsletter here.

Reference –

Bridges, W. (1991). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. London, Great Britain: Nicholas Brealey Publications.

Wylleman, P., Alfermann, D., & Lavallee, D. (2004). Career transitions in sport: European perspectives. Psychology of sport and exercise, 5(1), 7-20.

The post What Are Transitions and How Do They Apply to Sport? appeared first on Sport Life Flow.

What Are Mental Blocks?

A mental block is a thought construct that is held within your subconscious mind that is not in alignment with your authentic Self. A mental block is generally from the past that could be effecting the present and how you are experiencing life. Mental blocks range from memories, beliefs, decisions / choices, past experiences.

Mental blocks come from many places, including – family members, teachers, coaches, media, society and culture. They are generally formed by repeated thoughts and are mostly created in childhood from interactions with the people around us (N.B. this is not about blaming anyone, particularly our parents). For example –

• beliefs – which are essentially thoughts that are continually thought over and over without questioning whether it is true or not NOW. Some beliefs can help us move forward, however some are mindset blocks.
• decision / choices – decisions and / or choices that may or may not have been made unconsciously in the past. For example – a young person who didn’t know how to cope with stress may have felt that eating chocolate was a useful coping strategy at the time. However, over time this may no longer serve them and the associated thoughts may end up being a mindset block.

“Nothing binds you except your thoughts; nothing limits you except your fear; and nothing controls you except your beliefs.” ~ Marianne Williamson

Some Examples of Mental Blocks or Limitations

Following are some examples of mental blocks that relate to the different areas and / or aspects of sport and life –

Is Anything Holding You Back or Limiting Your Flow of Sport and / or Life?

Starting to Untangle from Mental Blocks

Once we start to recognise the mental blocks within us, the great news is we can start to untangle from them. Yes, that takes work, however as one of the people whom I have learnt a lot from says –

“Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.” ~ Ramana Maharshi 

Over to You…

I hope this article has given you some insight in to mental blocks and some ways they may be impacting your flow of sport and life. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them below. Also – please make sure you find a qualified professional who can help you untangle from any mental blocks.

When you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and living whole-heartedly (i.e. across sport and life), you are also welcome to join our newsletter here. 

The post Recognising Mental Blocks and the Impact They Can Have in Sport and Life appeared first on Sport Life Flow.

Let’s get started…

Why Mindfulness in Sport?

There are many reasons why practicing mindfulness can be beneficial to athletes in sport. Some of the benefits of mindfulness include –

• decreasing the symptoms of anxiety,
• allows you to access flow states (i.e. optimal human potential),
• increased life satisfaction,
• increasing a sense of empathy,
• increases in mindful attention, focus and awareness,
• decreasing symptoms of chronic pain, and
• increasing well-being.

“You might be tempted to avoid the messiness of daily living for the tranquility of stillness and peacefulness. This of course would be an attachment to stillness, and like any strong attachment, it leads to delusion. It arrests development and short-circuits the cultivation of wisdom.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

 

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness in everyday life is the ultimate challenge and practice. It is a way of being, of seeing, of tapping into the full range of our humanity – often seen in playful children fully experiencing life in the here and now. Mindfulness is described by Jon Kabat-Zinn (1994)

“as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally” (p.4).

Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein (2010) report “in Sanskrit, it’s known as smrti, from the root word smr, meaning “to remember” and in Pali, the language of the earliest Buddhist scriptures, it’s known as sati (mindfulness)” (p.15).

The Greater Good Science Centre at UC Berkely say –

“Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.”

Through the practice of mindfulness, individuals can become more aware of their thoughts, feelings and body sensations in the present moment. This observing, non-reactive perspective enables you to consciously respond with clarity and focus, rather than react out of a habitual pattern. It opens up the possibility of working more wisely with difficulties in life and choose what is nourishing to ourselves and others.

In the following clip (4.01mins), Thich Nhat Hanh shares an overview about what is mindfulness? Thich Nhat Hanh discusses how mindfulness is the capacity to be aware of what is going on in this moment and by being in touch with what is happening now, we can feel happiness and gratitude wherever we are. The object of mindfulness can be anything – the sky, the trees or anything else around us and when we learn to (or remember) to bring our attention to this moment, we can see we can be happy right here and right now.

Where Can I Use Mindfulness in Sport?

Simply – everywhere! Yep, over the years (and after being an athlete) I have invested many hours researching, learning and discovering how to be a well-being. For me, one of those keys has been developing mindfulness and I use it daily in my life and wish I had learn it when I was playing tennis. Some specific ways would be –

• effectively dealing with difficulties and distractions in sport,
• communicating mindfulness with coaches, friends and family,
• using mindfulness to grow emotional literacy and intelligence,
• dealing effectively with stress, and
• enhancing self-regulation.

Who Can Use Mindfulness in Sport?

Again, simply – everyone! Yes, every athlete in every sport can benefit by using mindfulness.

When Can We Be Mindful in Sport?

Mmm – think you may be getting the drift of this! Again – in many places and some of them I have already identified above. Some other examples include –

• Failing to meet personal goals and expectations or making mistakes within their sport,
• Working through injuries and focusing on what they can do to recover,
• Managing a performance or training plateau,
• Helping you reach your full potential,
• Persisting and concentrating on what you can do (not what you can’t),
• Taking responsibility for difficult sporting experiences, and
• Keeping a balanced perspective and allowing yourself to move on.

Over to You…

I hope this post has given you some insight in to the 5W’s of Mindfulness in Sport. Over time, I have realised for myself, if I wanted to change my life, I needed to change, which is why I continue to make compassionate choices and live above the line. If you have any questions, please leave any questions or comments below.

Also – if you wanted to read more about my experience in mindfulness and self-compassion, click here. If you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and living in to your potential and flow, please feel free to join the Sport Life Flow community by clicking here.

References –

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York, USA: Bantam Dell.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever You Go, There You Are – Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. New York, USA: Hyperion.

Nhat Hahn, T. (2003). Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World. New York, USA: Simon and Schuster.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook. Oakland, USA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

The post The Why, What, Where, Who and When of Mindfulness in Sport appeared first on Sport Life Flow.

What is Mental Toughness?

If you have watched sports before, I imagine you have heard sports commentators talk about the mental toughness of players and athletes. Essentially mental toughness is a personality construct and refers to how human beings deal with stress, pressure and challenges. However, a few definitions on mental toughness include –

• “Mental toughness is having the natural or developed edge that enables you to: (i) generally, cope better than your opponents with the many demands (competition, training, lifestyle) that sport places on a performer; (ii) specifically, be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure.” (Jones, Hanton & Connaughton, 2002),
• “Mental toughness is a collection of values, attitudes, behaviours, and emotions that enable you to persevere and overcome any obstacle, adversity, or pressure experienced, but also to maintain concentration and motivation when things are going well to consistently achieve your goals.” (Gucciardi, Gordon and Dimmock, 2008),
• “Mental toughness is the presence of some or the entire collection of experientially developed and inherent values, attitudes, emotions, cognitions, and behaviours that influence the way in which an individual approaches, responds to, and appraises both negatively and positively construed pressures, challenges, and adversities to consistently achieve his or her goals.” (Coulter, Mallett, and Gucciardi, 2010).

There are more definitions of mental toughness in the paper – Mental Toughness: Progress and Prospects and you can access that here.

Why is Mental Toughness Important?

Many coaches and sports psychologists believe that mental toughness is one of the most important psychological characteristics that determine an athlete’s success in sport. However, mental toughness has also been linked to wellbeing, positive behaviour and learning.

The 4 C’s of Mental Toughness

According to Clough, Earle and Sewell (2002), mental toughness is comprised of 4 subcomponents – commitment, challenge, control and confidence. These 4 components are also known as the 4 C’s of mental toughness. Clough et al (2002) describe the components as –

• Commitment – carrying out tasks successfully despite problems of obstacles,
• Challenge – seeking out opportunities for self-development,
• Control – emotional control (ability to keep anxiety in check and not reveal emotions to others) and life control (being influential and not controlled by others), and
• Confidence – confidence in abilities (with little dependence on external validation) and interpersonal confidence (being assertive and not intimidated in social contexts).

Over to You…

I hope this post has given you some insight in to mental toughness. Can you see how it can relate to your sport and also your life? If you have any questions, please leave them below or contact us. Also – you may like to have a look at the article I wrote for the Australian Tennis Magazine a few years back now here.

If you liked this article and want to keep taking the next step towards freedom and thriving in sport and life, please feel free to join the Sport Life Flow community by clicking here.

References –

Clair-Thompson, H., Bugler, M., Robinson, J., Clough, P., McGeown, S., & Perry, J. (2015). Mental toughness in education: exploring relationships with attainment, attendance, behaviour and peer relationships. Educational Psychology, 35:7, 886-907.

Clough, P. J., Earle, K., & Sewell, D. (2002). Mental toughness: The concept and its mea- surement. In I. Cockerill (Ed.), Solutions in sport psychology (pp. 32–43). London: Thomson.

Coulter, T., Mallett, C., & Gucciardi, D. (2010). Understanding mental toughness in Australian soccer: Perceptions of players, parents, and coaches. Journal of Sport Science, 28: 699-716.

Gucciardi D. F. (2017). Mental toughness: progress and prospects. Current opinion in psychology, 16, 17–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.010

Gucciardi, D., Gordon, S., & Dimmock J. (2008). Towards an understanding of mental toughness in Australian football. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 20: 261-281.

Jones, G., Hanton, S., & Connaughton, D. (2002). What is this thing called mental toughness? An investigation of elite sport performers. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14: 205–218.

Stamatis, A., Grandjean, P., Morgan, G., Padgett, R. N., Cowden, R., & Koutakis, P. (2020). Developing and training mental toughness in sport: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies and pre-test and post-test experiments. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 6(1), e000747.

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Dr Dweck points out that people with a fixed mindset believe that intelligence is static, whilst someone with a growth mindset believes that intelligence can be developed. In the following diagram you can see more details on the generalised differences between a fixed mindset vs growth mindset –

If you would like to hear some of the research, Carol Dweck discusses some of her findings on fixed mindset vs growth mindset, in her TED Talk – the Power of Yet.

Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset – How Does It Relate to Sport?

The graphic below outlines a few questions that shows how a fixed mindset vs a growth mindset relates to sport.

Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset

There may be some extreme cases, however generally most people lie on the continuum of a fixed and growth mindset. Certain situations will also bring out different mindsets. So if you see yourself using a fixed mindset, stop to recognise it, take time out to reflect and then decide consciously on the next step.

Questions for Reflection –

1. Where do you see yourself on the continuum of a fixed mindset vs growth mindset?
2. Are there certain situations where you have a fixed mindset? If so, what are they?
3. What do you see as the advantages of developing a growth mindset?

Feel free to share any insights or responses below. If you liked this article and want to keep taking the next step towards freedom and thriving in sport and life, please feel free to join the Sport Life Flow community by clicking here.

Reference –

Dweck, C. (2008). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York, USA: Ballantine Books.

The post Fixed Mindset v’s Growth Mindset – How Does it Relate to Sport? appeared first on Sport Life Flow.

What is Mental Health?

Mental health is a term often used to describe an individual’s mental state. The World Health Organisation defines it as:

“A state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stressors of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

As a term ‘mental health’ is frequently misunderstood. It is often referred to as a substitute for mental health conditions (e.g. depression, schizophrenia and anxiety conditions). However, as you can see by the definition above, everyone can benefit from looking after their mental health.

Mental Health Intervention Spectrum

When I was working in a National Mental Health Initiative, I was fortunate enough to learn quite a bit about mental health. I also supported schools to increase their knowledge and understanding of mental health. One of the ways we talked about mental health this was through the spectrum of interventions. As you can see by the diagram below it looks at – mental health promotion, prevention, treatment and maintenance.

More can read more about the diagram here.

Mental Health is Everybody’s Business

As you can see by the diagram above, at the core of mental health is providing strategies for promoting wellbeing and quality of life. The strategies will be different for different populations, however the intention remains the same – promoting well-being and quality of life for everyone!

What is Mental Health in Sport?

After reading the above, can you see the importance of mental health and how it can relate to sport? For example – do you think it is important for athletes to –

• have a safe and supportive environment to practise and play their sport in?
• be able to learn from their losses, injuries and others challenges in their sport (i.e. develop resilience)?
• develop competence, resourcefulness and strategies to look after their mental health? and
• feel a sense of empowerment over their sport and also their life?

Yes? Me too!

Over to You…

I hope this post has given you some insight in to what is mental health in sport? I truly believe mental health and wellbeing is everybody’s business. If you have any comments, please leave them below.

Also – if you liked this article and want to keep taking the next step towards freedom and thriving in sport and life, please feel free to join the Sport Life Flow community by clicking here.

Reference –

Barry, M. (2001). Promoting positive mental health: Theoretical frameworks for practice. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 3(1), 25-34

The post What is Mental Health in Sport? appeared first on Sport Life Flow.

Let’s get started…

Why Self-Compassion?

Quite simply because –

 “A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life.” ~ Christopher Germer

 

What is Self-Compassion?

Christopher Germer in his book The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions refers to self-compassion as –

“… simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.” 

In her book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, Dr Kristin Neff refers to self compassion as having three components –

1. Self-kindness – being gentle and understanding with ourselves rather than harshly critical and judgmental.  
2. Common humanity – feeling connected with others in the experience of life rather than feeling isolated and alienated by our suffering (i.e. experiencing our imperfections). 
3. Mindfulness – that we hold our experience in balanced awareness, rather than ignoring our pain and exaggerating it.

Also, in the The Force of Kindness, Sharon Salzberg wrote – 

“this kind of compulsive concern with “I, me and mine” isn’t the same as loving ourselves… Loving ourselves points us to capacities of resilience, compassion and understanding within that are simply part of being alive.”

 

Where Can I Use Self-Compassion?

Simply – everywhere! Yep, over the years (and after being an athlete) I have invested many hours researching, learning and discovering how to be a well-being. For me, one of those keys has been developing self-compassion and I use it daily in my life and wish I had learn it when I was playing tennis. Some specific ways would be –

• recovering from an injury,
• befriending and transforming the inner critic,
• using self-compassion to deal effectively with challenging emotions, and
• enhancing emotional regulation.

Who Can Use Self-Compassion?

Again, simply – everyone! There are a few myths or misperceptions about self-compassion though, so I thought I would share them below.

Myth: “If I’m too self-compassionate, won’t I just be lazy and selfish?”

Reality: Despite being socially acceptable, self-criticism is not a helpful strategy to helping us fulfil our potential. It can actually do the cause up to feel insecure and inadequate.

Myth: “I am not worthy of compassion.”

Reality: Everyone is worthy of compassion – as we have all made mistakes, no one is perfect.

Myth: Self-compassion is just a form of self-pity or self-indulgence.

Reality: Self-compassion means I think my problems are also important and worthy of being attended to as well as your problems. Self-compassion is about being with our challenges and seeing them as they are not numbing them or pushing them away, which is more self-indulgent.

Myth: We have to earn the right for compassion.

Reality: According to the Dalai Lama, “Human beings by nature want happiness and do not want suffering. With that everyone tries to achieve happiness and tries to get rid of suffering, and everyone has a basic right to do this.. Basically, from the viewpoint of real human value, we are all the same.”

Myth: Self-criticism is an effective motivation strategy 

Reality: self-criticism is not a helpful strategy to feel better despite it being socially acceptable. In fact, it can cause you to feel insecure and inadequate.

When Can We Be Self-Compassionate in Sport?

Mmm – think you may be getting the drift of this! Again – in many places. When a number of female athletes were interviewed about how self-compassion could help them in their sporting lives, they identified a variety of potential areas including –

• Failing to meet personal goals and expectations or making mistakes within their sport,
• Working through injuries and focusing on what they can do to recover,
• Managing a performance or training plateau,
• Stepping back and looking at situations in a positive light (i.e. seeing the silver lining),
• Helping you reach your full potential,
• Persisting and concentrating on what you can do (not what you can’t),
• Taking responsibility for difficult sporting experiences, and
• Keeping a balanced perspective and allowing yourself to move on.

Over to You…

I hope this post has given you some insight in to the 5W’s of Self-Compassion in Sport. Over time, I have realised for myself, if I wanted to change my life, I needed to change, which is why I continue to make I’mPowering choices and live above the line. If you have any questions, please leave any questions or comments below.

Also – if you liked this article and want to keep taking the next step towards freedom and thriving in your sport and life, please feel free to join the Sport Life Flow community by clicking here.

References –

Germer, C. (2009). The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions. New York: Guilford Press.

Neff, K. (2011). Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. New York, USA: HarperCollins Publishers.

The post The Why, What, Where, Who and When of Self-Compassion in Sport appeared first on Sport Life Flow.

“It is how people respond to stress that determines whether they will profit from misfortune or be miserable.” ~ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Eustress vs Distress

Stress is not always “bad” thing. It is subjective, so something that is stressful for you may not be stressful for someone else. Stress can motivate us to change habits and move us closer to our chosen dreams, and aspirations. If we felt no stress, we would not be compelled to act in ways that bring about conscious and meaningful change.

There are a few different types of stress we can experience, however essentially they fall in to two different categories – eustress and distress.  What are some of the differences between eustress and distress?

Glad you asked have a look at the graphic below…

Some Possible Examples of Eustress and Distress In Elite Sport for Athletes

As we all manage stress differently, it is hard to categorise stress objectively. However, following is a table that identifies a list of stressors for athletes within elite sport that have been divided in to example of eustress and distress for athletes.

Are there any other possible example of eustress or distress for athletes in sport you would add? If so, what are they? Feel free to share them below in the comments section.

Questions for Reflection –

Following are a couple of questions for reflection on stress.

• How do you typically respond to stressful events in your life?
• Do you allow yourself to sit with stress and use the stressful energy constructively? or Do you feel overwhelmed by stress and turn towards a state of panic or physical/emotional withdrawal?

Over to You…

Remember, change is a constant part of life and from every experience we can practice new ways of responding to stress instead of reacting.

Feel free to share any insights or responses below. If you liked this article and want to keep taking the next step towards freedom and thriving in sport and life, please feel free to join the Sport Life Flow community by clicking here.

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