Happy Saturday,

If you are in Michigan, I have a great video on extreme sports for you that can be applied to training and competing in the snow storms we have now! (And still some unique strategies to help you all in any adversity, regardless of temperature!)

And if you like to listen, I link to a recent Sports Project Radio Show interview filled with practical tips on focus, sleep and more.

Enjoy,

Dr. Eddie

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Extreme Sports

Check out this interview with CR-News Live about the Psychology of Extreme Sports

WATCH HERE

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀

- sense of accomplishment and becoming best self

- building life skills such as discipline, overcoming obstacle and focus

𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀

- engage pain rather than run from it

- reinterpret pain as a sign of goal progress and achievement

- less reactive to negative emotions and switch to more problem solving

𝟯 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵

- increase your self-efficacy through preparation

- have the intent to finish (no matter what)

- low avoidance coping (the tendency to run away from negative experiences.

You can catch more interviews and information in their Extreme Sports Series here: https://crnews.biz/extreme-sports/

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Overthinking and Sleep

LISTEN HERE

On this episode of The Sports Project Radio Show, Steve and I discuss:

• Football and the need to improve focus in bad weather. 
• Overthinking as a way to protect us (but hurts us instead)

... How to overcome it: “When stuck inside, focus outside.”

• Imagery for performance enhancement

... How to best do imagery: Move as you imagine (rather than relaxing and sitting still) and include negative emotions and situations that you rehearse overcoming with a specific refocusing and recovery plan. 

• Sleep for performance

... How to maximize sleep: Set a reminder to go to bed, focus on gong to relax (rather than going to sleep).

... 8 hours is the minimum for adults and 9 hours for adolescents. There are performance enhancing effects when you get 9-10

... Be aware of the relationship between your sleep and your performance the next day. This will help you make better decisions when it is time to get ready for bed when you realize staying up will hurt you the next day.

Improve your sleep tonight so you can play better tomorrow with the “Sleep Your Way to the Top” mini-workshop at bit.ly/sleeptotop

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Dr. Eddie O’Connor

www.DrEddieOConnor.com

[email protected]