How Can CBT Help Me As An Athlete

It’s easy for anyone to see the physical strength of an athlete. But, what many people fail to recognize is that it takes just as much mental fitness to be successful. Things like endurance, motivation, and the willingness to overcome challenges all stem from mental well-being. 

Unfortunately, athletes also tend to face a lot of pressure, especially when they’re on a public stage. One wrong move, and you could experience a career-ending injury. If you don’t perform your best, you could lose the race, game, match, etc. You might even deal with anxious thoughts causing you to wonder if you’re really good enough, if you’re getting too old, or if your opponent is better than you. 

It’s not uncommon for athletes to deal with anxiety stemming from doubt and fear. It’s something that traditional training in the gym might not help. But, if you’re an athlete dealing with those negative thoughts, CBT might be the solution. 

Restructuring

As an athlete, you might struggle with thinking about the worst-case scenario when you’re practicing or in the middle of a competition. Again, you could get injured, lose the big game, or worry about your abilities. 

Those thoughts can lead to anxiety, and if any of them plague you enough to impact your performance, you might also start to experience depression. 

CBT can help to restructure your thoughts and change the distortions in your thinking. You’ll work with a therapist to identify your distortions and focus on what you can do to challenge them. Things like asking yourself what could happen, what are the chances of it happening, and how it might impact your life are all valid questions you can work through during therapy. 

When you challenge those thoughts, they become less powerful. It doesn’t mean you won’t still experience negative self-talk sometimes. But, with CBT, you’ll be better equipped to fight back against them. 

Creating Goals

You’re likely no stranger to setting physical goals for yourself. But, if you’re struggling with your mental health, CBT can also help you set SMART goals that are: 

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable

• Realistic

• Time-limited

Setting SMART goals can help you manage your expectations. You might be putting too much pressure on yourself, leading to anxiety, disappointment, and added stress. Working with a therapist to set realistic goals will not only take away some of that stress, but it will help you focus on exactly what you need to work on. 

Mindfulness

Finally, CBT can teach you how to relax and be more mindful. Mindfulness is getting a lot of traction these days, but it’s more than just a buzzword. When you’re an athlete, it’s easy to want to always look ahead. It’s even easier to focus on your past mistakes. 

But, both of those things can keep you from reaching your full potential. 

Mindfulness will help you stay focused on the present. From a performance standpoint, it’s a great way to stay “in the zone” and shift your mindset where it needs to be without falling into the trap of anxiety. 

Breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, and even guided imagery techniques can help you be more mindful when competing and in your free time. More mindfulness leads to more relaxation and less stress. You’ll be less anxious overall, which you can carry with you in your everyday life, not only when you’re wearing the “athlete” title. 

No matter what level you’re at as an athlete, you can benefit from CBT practices. If you’re interested in learning more or want to set up an appointment, feel free to contact us any time to learn more about CBT and sports counseling.

4 Tips For Quieting Your Anxiety When You Are Competing

As an athlete, you understand the importance of focus. If you aren’t able to “keep your head in the game,” you run the risk of performing poorly, getting injured, and losing self-esteem and confidence in your abilities. 

There are plenty of things that can potentially shake your focus, including anxiety. Anxiety tends to be fueled by a fear of the unknown. When you’re trying to perform at a top level, there are plenty of unknown factors that can trigger that fear and cause you to worry about what’s going to happen. 

So, how can you quiet that anxiety when you’re competing, and ensure you’re going to perform with a clear and focused mind?

1. Listen to Positive Self-Talk

One thing that can certainly cause anxiety to feel louder and more overwhelming than ever is negative self-talk. As the old saying goes, you are your own worst enemy. It’s easy for negative self-talk to creep in and convince you that you’re not good at what you do. Or, it might tell you that you’re going to fail or “choke” somehow during your competition. 

Instead of giving into that negative self-talk, replace it with positivity. That might include saying positive affirmations out loud, actively fighting back with positive words whenever negative thoughts start coming in, or finding other ways to boost your confidence. 

2. Practice Makes Perfect

As an athlete, you’re no stranger to practice and training. But, if your anxiety comes from a fear of failure, add in another practice session. Do something until it becomes second nature and you feel completely confident in it. 

Granted, you can’t control every factor of a game or other sporting event. There are some elements that will always be up in the air. But, when you’re 100% confident that you know how to execute, you can fight back against thoughts telling you that you aren’t good enough.

3. Reduce Anxiety Elsewhere

If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed in other areas of life, it could be creeping into your mindset while competing. Quieting something like performance anxiety often requires quieting that anxiety elsewhere, too. 

So, find ways to relax and de-stress whenever possible. Things like mindfulness, meditation, journaling, and physical activity for enjoyment (not just training) can all help to reduce your stress levels. Mindfulness and meditation are also wonderful ways to improve focus and help you feel more present. 

4. Prepare for the Worst

Again, anxiety is fueled by the unknown. It’s easy for your mind to go to the worst possible scenario and fear the worst potential outcomes. So, think about those things ahead of time. 

That might sound counterproductive, but it gives you some control. When you consider the worst thing that could happen, you also give yourself time to make a plan and think about how you’ll respond, one way or another. That helps with preparedness and makes the worst-case scenario seem far less scary. 

Competing at any level requires extreme focus. If you give into the effects of anxiety, you’re going to lose focus and end up participating in a self-fulfilling prophecy that causes your performance to suffer. 

So, consider using some of these tips to combat anxiety while competing. Not only can they improve your athletic performance, but they can help you manage your mental health even when you aren’t competing. 

If you’re still struggling with anxiety, at any time, don’t hesitate to reach out for sports counseling. Often, getting to the root of the issue is the best way to start healing and moving forward. A therapist can help with that, and offer even more effective suggestions to manage your symptoms and overcome anxiety for good. 

How Can Counseling Help Me As A Competitive Athlete?

When you’re a competitive athlete, it’s easy for people to view you as some kind of machine, expected to perform and win time and time again. But, underneath your athletic abilities and talent, you’re only human. 

When you’re a competitive athlete, you’re a human with a lot of pressure on your shoulders. 

Whether you’re feeling the stress of your sport, the pressure to succeed, or you’re trying to get through the mental health challenges that often come with injuries and strain, counseling can be an effective way to cope. 

If you’ve never considered counseling before, let’s dig a little deeper into how it can help you as an athlete to maintain both your physical and mental well-being. 

Success for the Whole Self

One of the best reasons for an athlete to see a counselor is to foster and maintain a sense of wellness for the whole self. 

You probably wouldn’t dream of skipping practice or giving up on your training regimen. While exercise is good for your mental health and can combat stress, you’re probably not focused on that while you’re working out. You’re trying to get into peak physical condition to be as successful as possible in your sport. 

Counseling can help you redefine what success looks like. Wins and good performances are great, but when you experience the highs and lows of being an athlete, having a strong sense of mental wellness can help you remain stable and make it easier to manage your stress. 

Finding Motivation

Maybe you’re coming back to your sport after some time off. Maybe you’re feeling uninspired lately because you haven’t been performing at your peak. Or, maybe you’re just worried you’ve lost your love of the game, no matter what you play. 

Counseling can help you rediscover your passion and motivation by getting to the root cause of what’s destroying it. It could be anything from stress to relationship issues, or striking a healthy work-life balance. When you dig beneath the surface to determine what’s really making you feel indifferent, you can start taking steps to find your spark again. 

Stress Management

There’s no question that being a competitive athlete is stressful. There’s a lot of pressure on you to perform well and win, especially when there’s money involved. You might be thinking about that pressure even when you’re not playing or performing. That can cause a lot of stress that will seep into other areas of your life. 

Counseling can help with basic stress management, taking some of the pressure away and allowing you to focus on other things. It can improve your work-life balance, help you enjoy other areas of life, and even help you to perform better.

Injury Recovery

When you’re injured as an athlete, it can be overwhelming. You might be worried about how quickly you can heal, if you’ll be as strong or able as you once were, or if you’ll be able to remain competitive. That kind of anxiety takes a toll on your well-being and can lead to lasting negative consequences. 

Counseling can’t magically cause your injury to heal faster. But, it can help you maintain mental wellness as you heal and start training again. That allows you to focus on what’s important without letting anxiety take over. 

As you can see, there are plenty of ways in which counseling can help you as a competitive athlete. But, you don’t need to wait for something to “go wrong” or until your stress feels overwhelming to reach out for help. 

Feel free to contact us for more information or to set up an appointment. Sports counseling can help you train your mental well-being the same way you train your body, so don’t ignore the success of your whole self. 

4 Ways Counseling Can Help An Athlete Who Has Performance Anxiety

Whether you’re a professional athlete, a college athlete, or you play for a local sports team, there can be a lot of pressure to win. Beyond that, you might feel a lot of personal pressure to perform well, especially if you’re considered one of the top talents of your team. 

While plenty of athletes thrive under pressure and tend to use it as motivation, that doesn’t mean it isn’t nerve-wracking. 

As a result, it’s not uncommon for athletes of all abilities and levels to deal with performance anxiety. Unfortunately, that kind of anxiety can create problems within your sport and your mental well-being. 

Thankfully, counseling can help if you’re willing to take the leap (no pun intended) and give it a try. Not convinced? Let’s take a look at a few different ways counseling can help an athlete dealing with performance anxiety.

1. It Can Help Identify Triggers

It’s not always easy for an athlete to know exactly what makes them feel anxious before a big game. You might have specific triggers that need to be addressed, like knowing certain people are watching, or certain conditions that make you self-conscious and doubting. 

You might even have superstitions that could end up becoming triggers. It’s not uncommon for athletes to deal with superstitions and rituals, but when they start to cause performance anxiety, it’s a problem.

2. It Can Help to Develop a Game Plan

Athletes respond well to plans and strategies, and counseling can help with that when it comes to dealing with performance anxiety. 

Your counselor can help you develop a game plan that keeps you focused during your event. The plan should be short and to the point, and something that’s easy to remember so it utilizes all of your concentration. It should be something you can learn quickly and repeat to yourself when it's time to perform. When you’re focused on your game plan, you’re less likely to be anxious about your performance.

3. It Reduces Everyday Stress

Anxiety comes from stress. It also creates stress. It’s like a vicious cycle that feeds off of itself until you feel like you’re completely out of control. 

If you find that you’re stressed about a big game or event days before it actually happens, your performance anxiety is likely to kick in early. On the big day, you might be so anxious about your performance that it’s hard to focus on anything. 

Counseling can make it easier to manage and lower your stress levels every day — not just on game days. The less stressed you are, overall, the less likely it is for anxiety to completely take over. 

Common stress-reducing techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, and meditation are great ways to calm yourself before a game or event, and a counselor can help you make the most of them. They’ll teach you techniques you can use as often as necessary to combat the stress threatening to control your thoughts.

4. It Boosts Positivity

Performance anxiety, especially as an athlete, can impact your self-esteem. Confidence is so important for athletes, and when you lose it, you’ll be even more anxious about your ability to perform. 

Counseling can help you maintain a positive attitude about yourself, your abilities, and the sport you play. That kind of attitude boosts your confidence and can help you overcome the effects of performance anxiety by changing your perspective on the game and your abilities. 

Don’t let things like stigma, pride, or stereotyping get in the way of getting the help you deserve. You wouldn’t ignore your physical training, and maintaining your mental health is just as important. If you’re struggling with performance anxiety, consider reaching out for help to learn more about sports counseling.