Sport is an integral part of our life. It is one of the most important parts of our culture. For some nations, it is a symbol of their spirit and some nations worship a particular sport like religion. From wearing the apparel of the teams and brands we support to making our kids wear the jersey of the teams, we all grow up in the essence of sportsmanship.
It is always a great idea to stay connected to sports, it helps us understand the meaning and importance of sportsmanship and teamwork.
Nowadays, many young adults are trying their best to get into the field of sports just as much harder as they work hard in their academics.
Most of the times, people just see the success of a sportsman and get inspired to be like them, unaware of the fact that they have worked so hard to reach the top. That’s when the parents of these young adults put extra pressure on their kids to work hard in sports. Encouragement is necessary, but too much of it can become a strong push which is not really a great thing.
Below we have shared some of the tips which can help athletes to manage their level of stress and these tips can also play the role of a to-do list for the parents of young budding athletes.
1. Don’t find a motivator, just become the one you need!
In order to keep yourself motivated, sometimes you have to become your own motivator. Well, the truth is that you are indeed your best motivator. The reason is that only you know yourself better than the rest of the world. It is important that you introspect from time to time and be sure about what you need to do.
The idea is to talk to yourself in your mind and boost yourself up. Confidence is all that you need as an athlete to do your best on the field. It will only take a few minutes from your daily routine, all you have to do is, tell yourself “you’re really good at it, you can do it” even at times of defeat, tell yourself “No worries, it is a part of the game and not every match is the same”. It will just take a few minutes, but it will make your day even better as it will reduce your mental stress and see the change in your overall performance.
For an athlete, a daily workout is a part of their routine, similarly, negative thinking is rapidly becoming a habit of most the people around. This is something that needs to change. Trying to think positively requires a lot of practice, you have to learn to make it a habit just like the daily workout is your habit.
2. Welcome difficulties with arms wide open
Life can be very hard and unfair at times. The easiest thing someone can do is to capitulate to the difficulties in his or her life. Instead of doing the easiest thing of giving up, welcome all the difficulties that come your way. Always remember, all the difficulties that run into your life, are just another form of opportunities, you just need to see them in that way.
Pushing yourself while you face tough times in life and ultimately succeeding in the end, is something that helps you improve yourself as an athlete and also as an individual.
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3. Looking back to the good times is refreshing
When you face defeat in a match or game, it is normal that you feel sad or depressed for a moment, but the next big thing you need to do is to recollect all the good memories of the past when you won a match or something good happened at that moment.
Not just that, evaluate how’s your mindset back then, and try to think like that again. It will help you know better than what makes you feel confident, is it your favorite song that inspires you to perform better, or is it something you call your lucky charm. Just go back to that moment in which you were a winner and it will ultimately reduce stress and make way for more amelioration tips to reach your brain.
4. Only “present” is in your control
“Stay in the present, don’t think too much about the future and don’t have any regrets of the past” You might have heard these things many times. But hardly anyone in this world truly understands and adapt to it. Most of the athletes say phrases like “I am just looking forward to one match or game at a time.” They say things like that to show that they are not stressed about the future and not having any regrets of the past.
The reason why you need to be in the present is that you have no control over what the future holds for you, and what all happened in the past is gone, you can never be able to change it. Therefore, stay in the present and do everything to make the most of it, that’s how many of the upcoming challenges will turn into opportunities for you to soar high.
5. Let some fresh air come in!
Imagine being a part of the team in a tough match where defeat is just around the corner, but you and your team somehow manage to clinch the victory. After such a pressure situation match, everybody deserves a break, right? Just like that, as an athlete, you need a timely break from the game and spend some time in the beauty of nature.
A break doesn’t mean that you need to go on a long holiday. It can be just a quick walk on the road after the match, reading a nice book, taking a good massage, listening to music or just something else. It will help you rejuvenate or refresh your mind and forget all the stress.
Conclusion The stress that comes from failure in sports and games is different from other stuff. As an athlete, your performance on the field is everything that matters. These tips will not only help professional athletes to reduce stress level but also guide the parents of young budding athletes to help them focus on their game and performance. Try these tips and see the change!