Thirty years ago, the first empirical test of a mindfulness-based intervention for athletes was published by Jon Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues. The researchers found that, following mindfulness training, a group of college rowers performed well above their coach’s expectations (based on experience level and physical ability). A second group (Olympic rowers, several of whom won medals) reported feeling that the mindfulness training (MT) had helped their performance. After this first study, there was a dearth of studies on mindfulness training in sports. But there has been a recent resurgence with most studies showing that MT is impacting athletes in positive ways (e.g., less stress, increased ability to focus, etc.).
The idea is that rather than trying to control internal phenomena (thoughts/images), it may be more beneficial for athletes to develop skills in present-moment awareness and acceptance. As Kabat-Zinn suggests, one is trying to pay attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.
Most of the athletes I work with don’t have much trouble with the first component (purposeful attention), but struggle more with staying in the present moment, nonjudgmentally… especially after they make mistakes, when the self-talk often becomes past-oriented and highly judgmental. Given that this is so hard for many of us, it makes sense to train the mind to be better at this.
What we are talking about is improving self-regulation (in this case, of attention) in order to facilitate optimal performance. Most of this training mirrors a well-established protocol called Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) which has been modified for work with athletes and teams.
To get a taste of this, try these strategies as a start.
1. Mindful Breathing
Take a few minutes a day to pay attention to your breath, which can bring on a calm and clear state of mind (via the parasympathetic nervous system). Physiologically, this can help to regulate your breathing if it becomes shallow. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and start to deepen your breath. Inhale fully and exhale completely. Focus on your breath entering and exiting your body. Start with five minutes and you can build up from there. When your mind wanders (which it inevitably will), gently bring it back to the breath.
2. Body Scan
Practice a body scan to help release tension, quiet the mind, and bring awareness to your body in a systematic way. Lie down on your back with your palms facing up and legs relaxed. Close your eyes. Start with your feet and notice how they feel. Are they tense? Are they warm or cold? Focus your attention here for a few breaths before moving on up your body — as you travel from your foot to your ankle, calf, knee and thigh. Continue to move up your hips, lower back, stomach, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, neck and head — maintaining your focus on each body part and any sensations there. Breathe into any areas that are holding stress and try to release it. As you engage in this practice regularly, you will become more highly attuned to what’s happening in your body. You can spend 10 minutes or longer doing a body scan.
3. Internal Messages
Pay attention to your internal dialogue, but don’t spend time battling the chatter. That means when unhelpful thoughts arise — “I can’t keep this pace up,” or “I better not double-fault” — notice them, but don’t judge them or become stuck/fused with them. It’s okay to notice that the thoughts and feelings are there, but don’t attach any weight to them. Instead, let the thoughts and emotions go quickly (like clouds passing, or leaves floating down a stream) and speak in terms of what you want to achieve in this moment.