For decades, training has been focused on the body; however, as technology in sports continues to advance, a larger group of athletes is beginning to consider brain training.

You are not alone if you get nervous before a competition. Athletes frequently report having an elevated heart rate, butterflies in their stomach, tight muscles, phantom pains and sickness, anxiety, and a loss of appetite. These pre-event nerves demonstrate that physical preparation isn’t the only factor in a successful competition. You must train your mind in the same way that you have trained your muscles in order for your body to perform to its full potential. Meditation, positive affirmations, breathing techniques, and visualization techniques are all forms of mental training that are just as important as physical training. These practices can assist in the development of a brain-body connection, allowing you to maintain a high level of motivation, boost your confidence, and improve your concentration.

You can better manage competition anxiety, nerves, and emotions if you learn to remove distractions. The connection between thoughts and actions is complicated. Building brain power—often with the assistance of a sports psychologist—might be the key to realising your athletic potential.

Training the brain to develop the mind-body connection necessitates the following three steps:

1) Observation
The ability to hear, see, and feel in order to become aware via your senses. This results in awareness.

2) Being aware
The capacity to pay attention to or understand something. This eventually leads to mindfulness.

3) Consciousness
Being fully present and aware of what is going on and what you are doing. This results in change.

These three factors will assist you in comprehending your reality. Mindfulness, in my opinion, is the process of bringing the unconscious into the conscious mind in order to understand or change something. It improves your ability to direct your attention to where it is needed or desired.

Breathing

Breathing is something that most people are unaware of. Because you are involuntarily breathing, your attention is drawn away from your breathing. You do not pay conscious attention to your inhalation and exhalation, whether shallow, deep, fast, or slow. When you notice and feel yourself breathing shallowly, you become more aware of the need to take deeper breaths. Being aware of your breathing pattern allows you to adjust and change it.

Brain Training Methods

According to the Dali Lama, “just one small positive thought in the morning can change your entire day.”

Mindfulness alters actions, which in turn alter outcomes, resulting in a better outcome. As a result, you must be mindful of what you do and understand why you do it as well as the consequences before doing it. Smokers, for example, are conditioned to smoke. They simply do it habitually, with no regard for the health consequences. Another example is when people run, they are not aware of how they are breathing, which causes fatigue and prevents them from improving their running. The mind-body connection is severed as a result of poor conditioning. To change actions, mindfulness must come from your own attention, perception, and awareness.

Increase Your Awareness and Mindfulness

Being mindful is beneficial to one’s health, well-being, and performance. It assists you in breaking free from past conditioning and habits that are interfering with your present.

Stress

Don’t be concerned. Learn to stay relaxed and calm in stressful situations. Stress causes your thinking to narrow and causes you to react without reason or intention. Mental stress tenses the body, resulting in physical ailments.

Interaction with Others

Recognize how your friends and certain people make you feel energetically. “Don’t let others or things around you destroy your inner peace,” says the Dalai Lama. It will undoubtedly have an impact on both your mental and physical health.

Life

Get rid of things that are unsatisfying or make you unhappy in your life and do things that make you feel good, happy, curious, and interested. Be wary of negativity.

Turn off the autopilot

Learn to smell the flowers as you walk by them, to breathe in the fresh air when you’re outside, to appreciate the day, or simply to gaze at a beautiful mountain or sky. Perceive and pay attention for longer periods of time, and be more aware of your surroundings.

Nutrition

Make a list of everything you eat every day so you know what’s good for you and what’s not. Before you put anything in your mouth, think about what you’re eating and why you’re eating it. Many people eat because it is quick and convenient, and they don’t think twice about it until they develop cardiovascular disease symptoms.

Breathing

Learning to concentrate on your breathing is an excellent way to develop mindfulness. Allow yourself time throughout the day to pause and, if necessary, take a few deep breaths. Post reminders around the house to remind you to check in on your breathing if necessary.

Meditation

Meditation does not have to be a one-hour commitment. You can meditate for 5 to 10 minutes per day to improve your perception and become more aware and mindful. Some athletes practise meditation for 10-15 minutes per day. If you don’t like meditation, lie down and listen to some soothing music.

Sport and the Mind-Body Connection
In the gym, take it easy

Slow functional movement training can help you become more aware of your movements by focusing on how far your muscles can stretch and contract and how your joints move. Recognize your body awareness.

Make a video of yourself

Recording your movements while training or practising can reveal unconscious behaviours that are detrimental to your performance. For example, I may videotape people performing an exercise in order to make them more aware of how they move physically. It assists them in visualising and comprehending more thoroughly, as well as being mindful of doing it correctly.

Visualize yourself participating in your sport

Visualizing yourself scoring a goal or mentally practising is a good way to start. This will help you perform better! Visualization can help to improve ball movement and concentration.

Breath

Slow down and relax your breathing during practise to make it easier to do so during competition. This reduces stress, overreacting during practise or a game, and saves energy.

Breathing and Exercise

Perform slow movements in which you inhale for 4 seconds, pause for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds. You can use any total number of seconds you want. This will link your mind and breathing to the stretching and contracting of your muscles.

Yoga

Tai Chi or Yoga is a form of exercise that builds and integrates strength, breathing, and movement flow.