The latest in Sport Psychology from Texas
Nov 11, 2022 12:16 pm
Happy Friday,
I recently got back from our annual sport psychology conference (this year in Fort Worth, Texas) ... it was so good to connect in person with friends and colleagues again in person. Great education as well to stay caught up in the field.
My highlight may have been the Mindfulness in the Olympics workshop with USA Olympic Sport Psychologist, Peter Habrel ... I brought some great info home for you ;-)
And here I am with with Maggie Nichols, an elite gymnast who was the first to report sexual abuse by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. Nichols is featured in the documentary film "Athlete A", as she was called to protect her identity during the investigation.
She was is a back 2 back All-Around National champion🤸🏻‍♂️, World Champion✨ and 8x NCAA🏆 champion!
Maggie encouraged us "to talk about sexual abuse and continue to spread awareness and educate those around us. Always know that you can use your voice to make a change.”
She was one of many inspirational leaders we got to hear.
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Worried the Night Before?
Do you worry the night before a big game, a big test or an important meeting?
Of course you do. It is our mind's job to warn us of potential danger. When we care so much about an outcome, our mind naturally focuses on the negative and how we might lose, fail or mess up.
But our mind doesn't tell us the objective truth.
If this worry is keeping you up at night, take a few minutes to objectively look at your preparation.
Sleep Your Way to the Top Workshop
If your mind is afraid that you won't do well, do you have evidence in your preparation about why you are ready for the challenge? For example, how much practice or study time have you put in? What has been the quality and results of that practice?
The point of the list is not to defeat worry. Being prepared does not eliminate the realistic threat that losing, failing or messing up could still happen. But it can take the intensity of the worry down a notch when you focus on how you are truly prepared to meet that challenge.
Learn how to sleep better tonight so you can play better tomorrow with the "Sleep Your Way to the Top" workshop here.
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Dr. Eddie O’Connor
