Cueing
People are sometimes bombarded by thoughts or distractions when performing a task in sports or life. This could be talking negatively to yourself in a game, feeling intimidated by an opponent, or even thinking about something outside your sport or task. How can we return our focus to the task before us? A standard tool in sports psychology is called cueing.
Cueing is a short statement shared with yourself that helps you maintain focus in the current moment (Hedstrom, 2014). It is a common term in sports psychology used by everyone, from athletes to military personnel.
A blog post by Ryan Hedstrom in 2014 on the Association of Applied Sports Psychology website recommends it be personal to you, positive, and short. An example could be "next shot," "good, better, best," "I am enough," or "purple is a cool color." The words can be anything as long as it's relevant to you. The function of cueing is to practice saying it with mindful breathing when you are out of focus. The statement helps you clear the thoughts running through your mind and brings you to the current moment. This skill is helpful in a sports context, but anyone can benefit from using a cue word when times are difficult. They help maintain focus and lessen negative thoughts.
If you are interested in learning how to use it in your life or want to develop other skills, call 510-981-1471 or email admin@endurancecenter.org and you can set up an appointment with Quentin Baldwin or one of our other providers.
Citation: [Hedstrom, R. (2014, August 14) Cue Statements: Staying Focused at Critical Times. ][3]
[3]: https://appliedsportpsych.org/blog/2014/08/cue-statements-staying-focused-at-critical-times/
Quentin Baldwin 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.
