Mental Toughness
Wu et al. (2021) explained that mental toughness is the coping strategy athletes use for negative stress, adverse outcomes, and complex conditions. The psychological skills of athletes include but are not limited to attention, imagery, self-confidence, coping, goal process, emotion regulation, and motivation (Moran, 2009; Wu et al., 2021). Thus, athletes need to develop cognitive capabilities that generate the timely execution of physical skills regardless of circumstances. Furthermore, mental toughness is fostered by specific mental skills training and experiences.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness cultivates full awareness of the current moment without hindrances from past experiences or future outcomes. The benefit is the ability to make clear decisions and eliminate toxic emotions or expectations. Mindfulness utilization in the Western World increased three times between 2012 and 2017, and the benefits include well-being, relationship-building, a flow state, and compassion (Fargo, 2023). Moreover, the Buddhist psychology of mindfulness cultivates creativity and a flow state; hence, an individual’s actions and behaviors fit the present moment and elicit a person’s full potential (Dhiman, 2012). An alert person generates good decisions even when the environment is familiar. Every setting and each day presents different factors, so it is essential to absorb all that is rather than what was or what could be. In sports, the uncertainty of performance outcomes makes adaptability and creativity crucial. Therefore, developing mindfulness can be significant to your performance.
Meaningful Coaching
Cognitive coaching for athletes is guiding an athlete through mental exercises that generate or elevate their cognitive skills. Expertise is developed from knowledge and experiences, and cognitive development programs based on evidence are significant to the mastery of a sport (Moran, 2009). Exercises that target cognitive capabilities require full awareness, and professional guidance facilitates significant improvement (Fargo, 2023; Dhiman, 2012). The cognitive coach cultivates psychological development through exercises that fit the athlete’s background and goals while acknowledging each sport’s conditions of participation; furthermore, quality coaching generates substantial gains in physical performance and well-being (Wu et al., 2021). For example, Self-paced sports like golf command different considerations than the externally paced sport of ice hockey, and each athlete’s experiences, values, and beliefs are unique. Thus, a coach must build a personalized plan to affect improvement and enjoyment.
Mindful Mental Toughness
The approach to a task is significant to task performance and mental skill development because the sensory experiences can be complete or hindered. Fargo (2023) explained that our level of awareness is exposed by how a mindful exercise is performed; for example, while reading instructions for an activity, 1) you read for understanding from beginning to end [fully aware], 2) you begin by reading for understanding then jump ahead to get to the conclusions/summary [somewhat aware] 3) you skip around to find the outcome benefits or use existing values and beliefs to assess the significance of what you are reading rather than experiencing the exercise [somewhat unaware]. Being partially engaged in mental skills training will create a fleeting improvement. Therefore, a cognitive coach can promote a culture of accountability and feedback that improves mental toughness.
Author: Jonathan Hensey, MS Educat
on & MS Sports Psychology.
References
Dhiman, S. (2012). Mindfulness and the Art of Living Creatively: Cultivating a Creative Life by Minding Our Mind. Journal of Social Change, 4(1), 24–33. https://doi.org/10.5590/JOSC.2012.04.1.03
Fargo, S. (2023, April 1). Mindful compassion: Actionable steps to live with fullness, connection, and Awareness. Mindfulness Exercises. https://mindfulnessexercises.com/mindful-compassion/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=5%2BMindful%2BMusings%2B-%2BMay%2B17%2C%2B2023&utm_campaign=5%2BMindful%2BMusings%2B-%2BMay%2B16%2C%2B2023&vgo_ee=ZkQNTBZ2XwdH6SIcsSwH6GDa50t2bc19UAlQp%2B6GtIuzor2a6b1DVA%3D%3D%3AUEwAipJb6pqKJeEmAO7T39803qdmz350
Moran, A. (2009). Cognitive psychology in sport: Progress and prospects. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10(4), 420–426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2009.02.010
Wu, C.-H., Nien, J.-T., Lin, C.-Y., Nien, Y.-H., Kuan, G., Wu, T.-Y., Ren, F.-F., & Chang, Y.-K. (2021). Relationship between mindfulness, psychological skills, and mental toughness in college athletes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18136802
