As I approach the six-year anniversary of starting this blog, I am reminded of the dual purpose:
(1) to help athletes and teams have better sporting experiences, and
(2) to help any who are trying to improve their lives — those who might benefit from learning what successful athletes do in their pursuit of excellence, and what the field of sport psychology can offer in terms of this pursuit.
So, when I recently read Serena Solomon’s NYT piece about using sports psychology to help her with childbirth, I thought it would be perfect to share some of her insights through excerpts.
Solomon writes
I wanted to face childbirth with an athlete’s strength, confidence and determination. So I turned to sports psychology for advice.
Any woman who has ever carried and birthed a child, in whatever fashion, deserves her own ESPN highlight reel — blood, sweat, tears and the eventual triumph of holding her newborn baby. To be clear, childbirth isn’t a game. You can’t plead with the referee when you don’t like a call or leave the field when you’re tired.
Still, as a lifelong athlete, I saw childbirth, especially an unmedicated one, as the ultimate challenge of physical endurance, mental stamina and my ability to handle pain.
Solomon consulted with several sport psychologists to learn what she might do in preparation for this beautiful, but highly challenging “event.”
[Sport psychology uses] methods like cognitive behavioral therapy and attention control training to improve athletic performance and competitor experience. It suits a laboring woman because it can quickly provide practical tools to achieve a specific goal, said Jay-Lee Nair, a Singapore-based sports psychologist who works with athletes, including professional golfers and Olympic sailors, as well as women preparing for labor. A simple strategy could be mimicking an athlete’s pregame routine like reciting affirmations “reminding them about their game plan or the attitude they want to have,” she said.
The idea of pain with a purpose is common in sports and labor. So are breathing techniques and visualizations to cope. Visualizations didn’t do it for me, but breathing did. During my birth class, I figured out what I liked — a long, loud exhale where I focused on the vibrating hum inside my mouth. I practiced this a few times each week while holding a piece of ice (it’s surprisingly painful). Dr. Silby added a tip: Stay present and enjoy the rest between contractions, much as a marathon runner turns a downhill section into active recovery. “If you’re anticipating the next painful push during recovery, that is a waste,” she said.
The strategies borrowed from sports psychology got me somewhat gracefully through labor. But they are not foolproof. Like Serena Williams at this year’s United States Open final, even elite athletes have their trying moments. I did, too, just as I entered the homestretch of my labor.
Less than two weeks after the birth, I stood on the stoop to watch the New York City Marathon, holding my sleepy newborn. The lead women ran by at their cracking pace, elegant and forceful. A tunnel of spectators along the avenue celebrated them. As usual, I had tears in my eyes. But this year, I felt that I was in their elite league.
I love this story which illustrates the ability of a person to reach deep into her reserves to utilize strengths that, heretofore, might have been unknown to her. And how sport psychology can help us can find and hone those strengths.