From the pressure to play well in a game to the day-to-day grind of practice, stress is an unavoidable part of playing a sport. Athletes might feel the pressure to meet or exceed expectations, avoid injuries throughout a long season, or simply to come up with a win.
It’s a delicate balance because some stress can help you prepare, focus, and perform. However, the consequences of excessive stress can extend beyond the game by taking a toll on your mental and physical health, which may lead to decreased performance, burnout, injuries, depression, and other issues.
Due to the inherently competitive nature of being an athlete, eliminating all stress isn’t possible, but mindfulness can help you manage the impact of stress on your athletic performance and overall well-being (Wang et al., 2023). Mindfulness requires you to remain focused on the here-and-now, not allowing your thoughts to drift to the past or the future. Like any other skill, mindfulness practice requires time and effort because it involves training yourself to realize when your attention is drifting and returning to the present moment. What are some of the benefits of integrating mindfulness into your daily routine? Here are a few:
- Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Mindfulness can help you learn to recognize your stressors, and the symptoms that come with them, without becoming overwhelmed (Keng et al., 2011). By becoming more aware of your stressors and developing a healthy detachment from them, you can reduce your overall stress levels.
- Improved Focus: Athletes achieve their peak performance when they are in a state of “flow;” mindfulness can help you focus and stay in your flow state. By training your mind to be present, you can maintain focus on the task at hand.
- Reduced Risk of Injury and Improved Recovery: Mindfulness can help athletes recover faster after training or competition by helping you relax your muscles and promoting better sleep, which are essential for recovery and physical well-being (Jones et al., 2020).
A growing number of professionals credit mindfulness as an essential part of their success, such as Lebron James, Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Carli Lloyd, and many more. Mindfulness practice involves giving your complete, undivided attention to the current moment and embracing it without judgement or resistance.
Mindfulness meditation allows athletes to observe their stressors without getting caught up in them. This awareness and detachment from stressors can lead to a significant reduction in overall stress levels. The training and practice of mindfulness involves a range of skills and applications, but a few tips for how to incorporate mindfulness for stress reduction as an athlete include:
- Mindful Breathing: Mindful breathing is focusing on the feeling of your breath, as you inhale and exhale, as your breath enters and leaves your body. It means noticing your breath, including where and how you feel it in your body, without trying to change it.
- Body Scan: When you’re stressed, physical discomfort, such as headaches, back and shoulder pain, and muscle tension, is often related to our emotions. With a body scan, you focus on different parts of your body from your head to your feet. Pay close attention to the sensations you feel, uncomfortable or not, throughout your body. The goal is not to eliminate sensations, but to become more aware so that you can manage them.
- Meditation: Mindful meditation involves both breathing and body scan techniques. To start with this practice, you need to find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down. Focus on your breathing, body sensations, and staying present in the moment. When you notice your mind wandering return to the present moment. When starting out, set a timer for no more than five minutes.
Reducing stress and emphasizing mental health is an underrated skill for athletes of all ages and skill levels. Mindfulness is a powerful and proven approach to mitigating the impact of stress, improving peak performance, and enhancing athletes’ daily lives beyond the field of competition. Practicing mindfulness can be challenging when just starting out, especially as a student-athlete surrounded by distractions, but with practice and commitment to learning, you can reap the rewards of improved mental and physical well-being.
Mental Health Resources
- UCLA Health – Free Guided Mindfulness Practice
- Hazel Health Mental Health Service – Free for DCPS Students
- Jacksonville, FL Sports Performance Therapists | Psychology Today Profiles
- BeyondME Counseling and Consulting: Book an appointment today
References
Greater Good in Action. (2023). Body Scan Meditation. Greater Good in Action. https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/body_scan_meditation
Greater Good in Action. (2023). Mindful Breathing. Greater Good in Action. https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/mindful_breathing
Jones, B. J., Kaur, S., Miller, M., & Spencer, R. M. (2020). Mindfulness-based stress reduction benefits psychological well-being, sleep quality, and athletic performance in female collegiate rowers. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572980
Keng, S.-L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1041–1056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006
Mindful Staff. (2023, January 6). Mindfulness Meditation: How to Do It. Mindful. https://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-how-to-do-it/
Wang, Y., Lei, S.-M., & Fan, J. (2023). Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on promoting athletic performance and related factors among athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2038. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032038
