Mind over matter: The importance of psychological skills training

Sun Tzu, a Chinese military general, philosopher and author of 'The Art of War' once said, 'Never enter a battle you have not already won in your mind'. This quote is not only relevant in a military sense but also that of sport and daily life challenges. In order  to achieve any goal the first step is to believe that you as an individual have the capabilities to fulfil that task. This article aims to explain the relevance of psychology in task accomplishment and methods which can enhance your psychological potential.

The practice of psychological skills training (PST) consists of highly methodical and consistent  techniques that aim to maintain drive and focus, optimise arousal levels and increase confidence. Maximising such factors of an athlete's psychological composition not only has the effect of enhancing sporting performance but also provides greater enjoyment and self satisfaction.

Every elite and recreational athlete will have suffered some form of mental error during their career, these can be displayed in a variety of forms:

•          Choking at a vital stage in a competitive situation.
•          Depression or anger due to slow injury recovery.
•          Decreased will or motivation to train.
•          Lack of focus during competition.
•          Frustration and anger with one's own performance.

It is likely at some stage of your athletic career you have experienced one or more of these mental incidents or know somebody who has. Finding the optimal 'work zone' is paramount for all athletes and exercisers as this will enhance kinaesthetic feedback  and ultimately increase adherence to a training regime. Although the vast majority of coaches acknowledge that sport is 50% mental the physicality and technicality of the activity frequently overshadows any form of psychological preparations. More often than not this is due to a lack of understanding of psychological skills training, an apparent scarcity of time or a belief  mental skills naturally reside in an individual and so cannot be taught. It is also thought psychological skills training is only useful for elite or 'problem' athletes, however if these skills are effectively acquired and implemented self regulation of feelings and behaviour can successfully be carried out. Thus allowing for the efficient attainment of short- and long-term goals.

Just as aerobic endurance is the foundation of an athlete's physical fitness; commitment, motivation, self confidence and esteem are the necessary psychological foundational skills for athletic success (Hodge, 2007). These must be developed in order for an exerciser to cope with the pressure of sport and maintain significant levels of concentration. Such performance skills will permit athletes to block out irrelevant stimuli such as the crowd and focus solely on the event at hand. In addition to foundation and performance skills, facilitative skills are key for the effective utilization of performance skills. Training motivation, teamwork, team spirit, lifestyle management and communication are all examples of facilitative skills. For example, an appropriate healthy balanced lifestyle and high levels of training motivation will mean a individual is able to reach their peak potential.

Vealy (1988) identified goal setting, self talk, relaxation, mental imagery and mental rehearsal to be the most significant PST methods. When goal setting it is vital that they are specific, realistic and feedback can be obtained to sustain motivation and highlight future goals. A mixture of goals is also critical; process goals focus on the actions necessary to perform well, in the case of a boxer this may be maintaining a tight guard or a runner relaxing their shoulders to ensure energy is not wasted. Performance goals such as achieving a six minute running mile or reaching a BMI of 21.5 should also be included and ultimately lead to an outcome goal e.g. winning a British championship 10km road race.

Self talk acts as an internal distracter, having both motivational and cognitive functions. With regards to motivation, positive self talk enhances confidence, optimises arousal levels, whilst also providing an increase and maintenance of drive (Hardy et al. 1997). On the other hand, instructional cue words can trigger an aspect of a skill or particular desired response such as 'twist your hips', 'keep your eye on the ball' or 'follow through'. It is important these phrases are short, specific and are repeated often to guarantee their use.

Mental imagery can be used parallel with goal setting and positive self talk, this has shown to enhance performance more than if each method where to be conducted alone (Porter 2003). As with self talk imagery can result in cognitive or motivational outcomes, it can effectively train the neuromuscular system when imagining the perfect skill performance or competitive strategy. Motivational functions include arousal and anxiety regulation through imaging oneself winning or obtaining a personal best. Mental rehearsal acts very similarly to imagery and is often practiced prior to performance, although it can be carried out alone to refresh ones memory of a particular technique or situation.

Relaxation is essential in elite level athletes to combat the pressure and stress that competitive situations entail, perhaps the most common form  of physical relaxation is progressive muscular relaxation (PMR). PMR involves methodically tensing particular muscle groups and then releasing them with the overall aim of lowering tension and stress levels. Through this cycle of tensing and relaxing the athlete not only learns what relaxation feels like but they are then able to better identify when they are becoming stressed, this better allows them to regulate their stress levels prior to future performance.

It is important to note that psychological skills training is not only effective for elite athletes, individuals across a range of different backgrounds and professions can practice these skills to enhance any mode of performance. This can range from public speaking, performing arts or simply participating in physical activity recreationally. However, these techniques must be practiced regularly to gain optimal performance effects and ultimately achieve self regulation to enter your individual optimal work zone.