Psychological Factors in Sports

Today in episode #162 of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast I chat with Sun Sachs and Ed Gibbins, owners of Rewire Fitness about flow states.  When you have a sense of control, are at peace, have a quiet mind and an inner calmness about you.  We discuss the characteristics and importance of flow states, as well as touching on how you can find “flow.”

Key Learning Points:

• Understanding self-care can help perfectionist athletes.
• The perfectionist can be relentless in their pursuit of excellence impacting negatively on their relationships and other areas of their life.
• Taking yourself and situations too seriously can be a trap perfectionists fall into.
• A flow state is where your mind is calm, your awareness is increased and you make quick smart decisions.
• When you are in flow you aren’t thinking about the past or future, it is the here and now.
• A quality of flow is a loss of self-consciousness and a task only focus.
• Visualisation, Mindfulness and Sports Hypnosis are great ways to get into the Flow.
• What is your “flow trigger?” If you haven’t got one, create one!

Connect with Sun Sachs and Ed Gibbins @ Rewire Fitness

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To Listen to Flow State Related Podcast Episodes

Ep002: Steve Judge –  How to Deal with Adversity

Ep007: Toby Flood – How Elite Athletes Mentally Prepare

Ep063: David Charlton – 7 Reasons Why Golfers Should Visualise

Ep 081: Stuart Wade – Mental Toughness in Combat Sports

Ep099: Trevor Jones – How to Deal with Overthinking on the Golf Course

Blogs to read to induce a Flow State

3 Ways to use Visualisation so that You are Mentally Prepared to Win

How to Quieten the Mind when Fighting

My Child Can’t Find “The Zone”

Using ACT and Mindfulness to Improve Your Sporting Performances

Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance?

3 Great conversations to have with your kids that relate with flow states

Conversations with Kids – Relax and Unwind

Conversations with Kids – Gratitude 1

Conversations with Kids – Gratitude 2

In mainstream sports psychology when helping individuals to develop their mental toughness and overcome performance challenges sport psychologists are likely to use interventions such as cognitive restructuring, visualisation, goal setting, mindfulness and other relaxation techniques to help athletes.  However, when athletes experience trauma and difficulties such as the yips or mental blocks other tools may be required to help them overcome the challenges that they face. 

Today I chat with Ruth Chiles, author of The Focal Dystonia Cure, who is a brainspotting practitioner, she goes on to tell you more about focal dystonia and neurological causes of this condition.  She also shares some practical tips for those of you who struggle with focal dystonia.  This episode is a great listen for those people who suffer from the yips or mental blocks or have experienced trauma in some form.

Key Learnings

• Focal dystonia is a very extreme somatisation in the body of a mental block where the particular movement or a particular part of the body is out of control.
• What is going on in the nervous system sits underneath the body movements, or body blocks.
• Fight and flight responses are when you are highly activated in the nervous system whereas a freeze response is when you experience hyper activation.
• For some people their nervous system has been in a constant state of survival since before child birth.  Our very early life history and our attachment to our mother plays a part.
• Brainspotting was developed by a New York psychologist called David Grand where we rewire parts of the brain so that people can respond differently in specific situations.
• We connect to the sub cortex through the body not through the thinking mind.
• When performing we are often in survival mode which can impede fluidity, enlarge muscles and inhibit your fine motor skills.

Connect with David Charlton

Sign Up to The Mental Edge

Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub

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Connect with Ruth Chiles

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Book: The Focal Dystonia Cure: Powerful and Definitive Practices to Completely Heal Yourself

Ruth Chiles on Facebook

Ruth Chiles on YouTube

Relevant Podcast Episodes

Ep013: Karl Morris – How to stay present like a major champion

Ep012: Alessia Bruno – The Yips, Crashes, Trauma in Sport there is hope for Athletes

Ep092: Dr James Hegarty – ACT in Sport, Improving Performance through Mindfulness

Ep131 David Charlton – How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – FINAL PART

Ep142: Alessia Bruno – Is Striving for Perfection a Good Thing in Gymnastics?

Relevant Blogs

Blog: Helping a Critical Child When You’re a Parent

Blog: How to Support an Angry Young Athlete

Using ACT and Mindfulness to Improve Your Sporting Performances

Why You Should Meditate To Improve Your Sport Performance?

Guided Mindfulness Meditation Practices with Jon Kabat-Zinn