Psychological flexibility in Sports
As athletes we have all experienced pressure to succeed, fear of failure and self-doubt. These internal and external challenges are inevitable and become more apparent as the level of competition rises. At higher levels of sport performance, the separation between good and great athletes is often a difference of mental toughness. Mental skills are often said to be the most important aspect in the majority of sports. We have all heard the saying “90% mental and 10% physical”, echoed by many successful coaches and top-tier athletes as the primary key to success. So, how can mental toughness be applied and practiced daily? I will discuss a key concept that is a vital aspect of mental health and well-being: psychological flexibility.
Psychological flexibility is a concept grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). From a psychological standpoint, this is a skill in which an individual can stay aligned with their values through difficult times. In sports, psychological flexibility is an athlete’s ability to adapt to distressing situations while staying focused on their goals. There are six core components that make up and help a person establish psychological flexibility. These processes are seen as a psychological skill to help achieve short- or long-term goals. What are these processes?
Acceptance: Embracing thoughts, emotions, and sensations whether they are positive or negative.
Cognitive Defusion: The ability to realize thoughts are not the problem, but instead how you interact with these thoughts can cause them to either be problematic or adaptive. It is important to create space from your thoughts to allow them to be less controlling or have less power.
Present-Moment Awareness: This is the idea of being in the “here and now”, instead of being stuck in the past or having anticipatory worries about the future.
Self-as-Context: The ability to observe yourself from a third person point of view helps you understand that you are more than your experiences. This creates space between your emotions, thoughts, and feelings, allowing you not to get stuck on the content of these experiences.
Values: Clarifying your values and making them the guiding principles of your life. By understanding what is important to you, you will allow your values to shape your actions, instead of being driven by fear.
Committed Action: Taking action aligned with your values even if there is pain or discomfort.
The reason why psychological flexibility matters in sports, is because it fosters resilience, promotes adaptability, and allows an athlete to understand how to better manage doubt and performance anxiety. However, it is important to note that these are not stand-alone processes, in engaging with them you will often find that they are fluid or even at times interconnected.
Demond Washington, MA.
If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Demond Washington, MA. or one of our other providers call 510-981-1471 or email admin@endurancecenter.org
Demond Washington, MA. is a psychology trainee who provides sports psychology and clinical psychology services at Endurance - A Sports and Psychology Center, Inc. He is supervised by Dr. Cory Nyamora, a licensed psychologist and endurance sports coach. Dr. Nyamora is the founder and director of Endurance – A Sports & Psychology Center, Inc., a company that provides psychological services and sports training and travel to people of all ages. Endurance staff provide therapy, training and workshops for organizations and athletes on topics related to the intersections of sports, performance, mental health and overall wellness. Find out more at www.endurancecenter.org or call 510.981.1471.
