When you think about your best performances, was your mind running all over the place? Were you constantly thinking about what would happen and what has happened?
Or was your mind present?
As a mental performance coach, I’ve worked with hundreds of athletes from all different sports, and one common characteristic of their best performances is that they were present.
In other words, they were in a mindful state.
Understanding this common characteristic, it becomes important for us to dive deeper into the role mindfulness has in athletic performance, and how you can compete in a more mindful state.
Mindfulness in Sports Defined
Mindfulness is the state of having your awareness completely centered in the present moment.
But what exactly does that mean?
Well, we know your physical body is always present.
Your mind, however, is a different story.
It’s easy for the mind to drift into the past or future. As soon as that happens, you are not present.
Your awareness has gone away from the here and now and you are no longer in a state of mindfulness.
Focusing on other people also pulls you out of a mindful state. Especially if you focus on them and then begin thinking about how you’re playing, what they do so much better than you, and so on.
Whenever your mind goes away from whatever it is you are doing and wanting to focus on in the present moment, you are not in a state of mindfulness.
Whenever you are fully focused in the moment, on what you are doing, you are in a state of mindfulness.
Mindfulness in sports is all about your focus and thinking. Both of which play into each other so much that we can often use the terms synonymously.
When you are focused in the present moment, you will notice either an absence of thought or you will only be thinking about one thing (the thing you are focused on).
When you think about one thing, such as the specific drill you are doing, your mind is focused on that drill. As you focus on and think about the drill, your mind will be centered in the present and you will be in a state of mindfulness.
With such a state of mindfulness comes many benefits in terms of your physical performance.
Benefits of Mindfulness on Athletic Performance
Being focused in sports is something all athletes strive for. The reason being, when you’re focused, you play your best.
When your mind shoots from one thing to another and can’t focus for more than two seconds, it’s difficult to compete at a high level.
If you want to play your best, you must be focused. And nothing means you are more focused in the present moment than being in a mindful state.
It is a state I aim to help all the athletes I work with get into. The more mindful you are, the better you play. Simply because, the more present you are, the better you play. And to be in a state of mindfulness means you are present with your attention.
To get a better understanding of how mindfulness positively impacts performance, let’s examine the top four benefits of mindfulness on your mental state.
Benefit #1: Mindfulness Reduces Fear & Anxiety
Fear and anxiety are all about attention. When your attention travels into the future or drifts into the past, we see fear and anxiety develop.
Let’s say you’re beginning a game and you find yourself thinking about how bad your practices have been lately. Thinking about your bad practices then causes you to fear playing poorly in the game.
As you fear playing poorly, anxiety will grow. You will worry about how you’ll play and find yourself trying to control your performance.
But you cannot fully control the outcome of your game. Instead, this desire to control only increases worry and stress and leads to underperforming.
In that example, where was your attention?
It was in the past and future. That is a key characteristic of playing with fear and anxiety. Your mind is not present. You are living in the past or future.
The more present you are, the less you’ll be thinking about the past and the less you’ll worry about the future.
When you are in a state of mindfulness, you are present. Therefore we can say, the more mindful you are, the less fear and anxiety you’ll experience while playing.
Benefit #2: Mindfulness Improves Focus
To perform your best, you need to be focused. There is little chance of you playing well consistently if your focus is all over the place.
Elite athletes have strong focus.
But there are many distractions you face during practices and games. Some are external and others are internal. No matter the distraction, though, we know it will work against your ability to be focused.
Mindfulness is the state of being completely focused in the present moment. Your awareness is centered in the here and now.
When you are in a mindful state, you are focused. By working to improve your ability to play in a state of mindfulness, your focus will improve as well.
Benefit #3: Mindfulness Leads to the Zone
The zone or flow is an elusive state all athletes strive to attain. It is the state you’re in where your play is effortless and easy. Everything flows and feels natural.
It is the state where you find peak performance.
But by the very nature of the zone, we cannot force it to happen. A defining principle of playing in the zone or flow state is letting go and performing freely. you cannot let go and perform freely if you’re simultaneously trying to force yourself to play in the zone.
Trying to force it introduces tension. Tension that keeps you from getting into flow.
However, another defining principle of the zone is being present. When you’re in such a state, your mind is present. It can feel as though you are one with what you’re doing. That only happens if your mind is here.
The state of mindfulness is very close to the flow state. Because when you are mindful, your attention is present. Just like when you are in the zone.
While we cannot force the zone, we can get closer and closer to it by playing in a mindful state.
Benefit #4: Mindfulness Keeps You Calm
How do you respond to mistakes? Do you get overly upset and lose your composure? Or do you keep it together?
Even if you don’t show frustration externally, do you get down on yourself within your mind? Is your reaction to mistakes more internal?
Either way, when you respond poorly to mistakes or any frustrating situation during a game, chances are your performance level will drop.
Now, the state of mindfulness means your awareness is completely centered in the present moment. When you’re present, it’s easier to remain calm. It’s also easier to let go of mistakes and frustrating situations.
Because to let go of a mistake means to stop thinking about it. We want to stop holding on to it with our mind. You let go when you redirect your attention.
If you can play in a mindful state, your mind will remain present more often. Meaning, after mistakes, it’s easier to be present, let go of the frustration, and keep yourself calm mentally.
And a calm mind is a mind primed for peak performance.
Learning How to Compete in a Mindful State
Mindfulness improves athletic performance for many different reasons. But the bottom line is, the more present your mind is, the more you allow your skills to take over.
A large part of mental coaching is about getting the mind out of your way. Instead of having your mind be your own worst enemy, you learn how to let go and play freely.
When your mind is present, it’s much easier to let go and play freely.
But how can you get yourself to the point where you play in a mindful state more often?
There is a two-part approach you can take: training the skill of mindfulness and becoming mindful in the moment.
Training the Skill of Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a skill. The skill of being able to keep your attention centered in the present moment.
Being present is difficult. It’s not something we normally pay an awful lot of attention to. We plan for the future and think about what has happened in the past.
Rarely do we live completely in the here and now.
But when it comes to competitions, the more present you can be, the better you’ll perform.
You’ve done all your planning and all your training. Now is the time to let go and perform. To trust all that preparation.
To let go, you must be present. To be present, you need to have been working to develop the skill of mindfulness.
Seeing mindfulness as a skill means it is something that must be trained. For something to be trained, we need a drill or exercise to do so.
That’s where the exercise of mindfulness meditation comes into play.
To train the state of mindfulness, you want to begin a mindfulness meditation practice. This is a simple exercise where you practice being mindful for at least five minutes a day.
Here is an explanation of how to practice mindfulness meditation as an athlete:
- Get into a comfortable seated position with your back straight.
- Set yourself a timer for five minutes.
- Close your eyes and begin taking nice, deep breaths.
- Focus your attention on your breathing.
- When you begin to think about anything other than your breathing, notice that and then return your focus onto your breath.
- Repeat this process over and over, continuing to try and focus on your breath, until time is up.
Staying consistent with a mindfulness meditation practice builds the skill of mindfulness. Making it easier for you to compete in a mindful state.
Becoming Mindful in the Moment
Once you have your mindfulness meditation practice in place, it’s time to work on getting yourself into a mindful state during a game.
The state of mindfulness is characterized by being present. Therefore, our goal to get you into a mindful state is to center attention in the present moment.
Just as with the meditation practice, focusing on your breathing is a great way to do so.
What you want to do during a game is become conscious of your breath. Aim to center your attention on your breathing. Focus on taking nice, deep breaths.
By focusing on your breath, your mind will naturally ease into a state of mindfulness.
In addition to focusing on your breath, you can also focus on sensations. This can include what you hear, such as a fan humming in the background or listening to the wind. Or it can involve feeling the wind on your skin, or the air if you are inside a stadium.
The idea behind getting yourself into a mindful state while playing is to center your attention in the here and now.
Focusing on your breath or a sensation is a great way to do so.
Final Thoughts
Mindfulness impacts athletic performance in a positive way. When you play in a mindful state, your mind is present. When your mind is present, you perform at your peak.
Many mental game challenges, including fear and anxiety, stem from your mind drifting into the past or future. The more present you can keep your mind, the better you’ll play.
To keep your mind present, you want to focus on training the skill of mindfulness, along with working to get yourself into a mindful state during games.
Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of success in all that you do.
