"GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!"
Do you think this advice helps athletes?
And where are they supposed to go?
I'm a 2x Olympian and Mental Toughness Coach and here's what athletes tell me:
Coach/Dad/Mom are yelling but I don't know how to get out.
I know I'm in there but I don't know what to do about it.
Until we understand what's actually happening in an athletes head, telling them to get out won't help.
So, what's really going on when athletes are "in their head?"
They are:
Thinking about their mistakes.
Worrying about what others are thinking about their mistakes.
Having hissy-fits or pouting about their mistakes.
Then, they shut down or melt down.
To "get out of their head", help them shift from emotional to rational.
Emotional = focusing on the mistakes.
Rational = solving the mistakes.
Every mistake can be fixed! Get them to focus on the fix:
How can I fix that mistake?
If I had a do-over, what would I do differently?
What actions are in my control?
Athletes want to get out of their head. It feels crappy in there.
Give them tools to help them get out.
How about a Mental Toughness Toolkit?
CHANGE DOESN'T TAKE TIME. IT TAKES COURAGEOUS ACTION.
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