Be assertive and let them know that you do not appreciate negative criticism. What ever people say to you, you do not need to internalise the message or believe it. You have no control over what other do or say only you own beliefs. If someone does not like you that is their problem not yours. Some people go out of their way to refute anything nice that is said about them. They don’t believe the compliment and think that they need to disagree with the compliment. Just say, thank you and smile.
Peak performance in competitive circumstances requires skills and attitudes. Skills: through knowledge of game, game winning strategies, expertise in execution. Attitudes: inner process, unconscious, self-image, beliefs, feelings. Find someone who can help you develop the skills and attitudes you need to succeed. Losers believe attitude can't be learned, you've either got it or you don't. In most persons peak performances happen by chance in consistent peak performers they happen by choice. Imagination is stronger than the will. Imagine the person you want to become six months down the road. It is difficult to maintain your positive perpsepctive if all you hear is negative crap. Negative people tend to bring others down. People will not want to be around you if you are always being negative and you should refuse to associate with people who do not support your good feelings. Don’t watch movies or TV shows about disturbing topics that bring you down.
Meditation is widely accepted as a method of reducing blood pressure, metabolic rate an heart rate aswell as increasing blood flow to the skeletal muscles ( hall et al 1991). According to harris et al (1993) the regular practice of mediation facilitates concentration by disciplining
Too much stress and anxiety can seriously affect your ability to focus on your skills and flow in a performance. This section examines the causes of excess stress and anxiety, explains their symptoms and then explains techniques that you can use to manage them.
It is important that you recognise that you are responsible for your own stress levels. Very often they are a product of the way that you think. Learn to monitor your stress levels, and adjust them up if you need more arousal, or down if you are feeling too stressed. Also learn that other people may seek to manipulate your stress levels: if you are feeling stressed and uptight, the last thing you may need is a motivational talk from a coach or manager who may not be able to see your stress.
Stress
A certain level of stress is needed for optimum performance. If you are under too little stress, then you will find it difficult to motivate yourself to give a good performance. Too little stress expresses itself in feelings of boredom and not being stretched. At an optimum level of stress you will get the benefits of alertness and activation that a good level of stress brings.
Excessive levels of stress damage performance and damage your enjoyment of your sport. These excessive levels occur in the following circumstances:
When you think that what is being asked of you is beyond your perceived abilities
When too much is asked of you in too short a space of time
When unnecessary obstacles are put in the way of achieving goals
The negative effects of stress are:
That it gets in the way of judgement and fine motor control . It causes competition to be seen as a threat, not a challenge . It damages the positive frame of mind you need for high quality competition by:
- promoting negative thinking
- damaging self-confidence
- narrowing attention
- and disrupting flow
- It consumes mental energy in, for example, worry. This is energy that you could devote to keeping technique good.
Very often stress can be caused by negative thinking as well as being a result of negative thinking: If you interpret a situation saying 'I'm in trouble', then you are much less likely to do well than if you think positively, seeing a new situation as an opportunity to exhibit your skills at a higher level.
Stress and Adrenaline
When you are in a competitive environment or are in an environment in which you are being evaluated, adrenaline may enter your bloodstream.
This has the following positive and negative effects on your body:
Positive Effects:
- Adrenaline causes physiological arousal
- It causes alertness
- It prepares the body for explosive activity
Negative Effects:
- It inhibits judgement
- It interferes with fine motor control, and makes executing complex skills difficult.
You will experience the preparatory flow of adrenaline into your body typically as butterflies in your stomach.
In sports such as shooting where fine motor control is important, adrenaline may be a negative factor. However in sports like sprinting or power lifting, where explosive activity is required, adrenaline may be useful in generating optimum performance. You may currently view high levels of adrenaline in your body negatively as stress. You may need to review this, perhaps welcoming adrenaline as an aid to your performance. Similarly you might like to consider using Psych Up routines to raise your adrenaline levels if you are not sufficiently aroused.