Your Mental Game: The Power of Mantras
by Ashley Samson, PhD, CMPC
University of Kentucky Kinesiology & Health Promotion
When training for any type of event, all athletes will face challenges at one time or another. Often the rough patches hit on long training days, or during the week when you get busy and stressed. You may feel tired, in pain, or simply not up for running. This is the time when negative self-talk begins to creep in: "I can't do this!" or "I just want to quit."
When you find yourself at this point, it can be tough to remember all the positive feelings that come from participating in your sport or all the things that you have accomplished that make it worthwhile.
In order to dig yourself out of this negative space and focus on moving forward, both literally and figuratively, you need to be able to "center" yourself, to find a focal point. The key is to have a mantra, and to use it.
The dictionary definition of a mantra is: "a sacred formula believed to embody the divinity invoked and to possess magical power, used in prayer and incantation." There's no need to limit the definition to only religious contexts, however.
Those who practice meditation or yoga often rely on a mantra to find a focal point, but you do not have to be sitting quietly in your room on a small cushion to meditate. In fact, some might argue that sports and running, specifically, can be a form of moving meditation.
In order to create your own mantra, you need to spend some time thinking about what might have personal meaning for you, because it has to be something that comes from within you, something that you can grab when you need and it will resonate with you.
For example, "I’m a strong finisher," or, "I love running hills" Positive phrases can use either a general adjective, such as "great sprinter" or something more specific, such as "strong legs." You may also use simply a word or two instead of complete phrases.
Counting: Although not quite a "mantra," counting can also work as a way to focus the mind to reach a meditative state. Even the pro athletes count sometimes to keep focused on the task when the pain becomes difficult. When I run, I count my breaths or steps if I find myself losing focus or becoming negative.
Come up with a mantra of your own, and break it out when you need a mental boost!
Previous posts from Ashley Samson:
It’s All In Your Head
Building Confidence
You Really Can Talk Yourself Into (Or Out Of) Anything!
Listen to Dr. Ashley Samson on the Kentucky Running podcast!
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