Mental Skills to Combat Sports Injuries

  1. Set realistic and clear goals. Goal setting is often a natural skill for athletes. Athletes are used to tracking progress and data to achieve desired results. You may have to curb your urge to push yourself when you’re injured. Set SMART goals to keep your progress achievable. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound.

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  1. Visualise yourself as healthy. Do not underestimate the power and effectiveness of visualisation. When we perform an action after visualising it, the brain’s same areas are stimulated. Imagine yourself running across the field with two fully functional, healthy feet underneath you. Visualisation is used by many top athletes.
  2. Keep your mind positive. You can write your mantra on your wallet or your mirror. When doubts start to creep in, read it out loud or repeat it. Positive affirmations are also effective. Think of Muhammad Ali’s “I am the best” refrain.
  3. Focus on the moment. We want to feel better right away, whether we are ill or injured. Athletes in particular want to play as soon as they can. Injuries require patience and time to heal. By focusing on today, you are actually doing yourself a favour. It won’t heal tomorrow or the next day, no matter what you do. It will take place in the present moment, one second at a time. Acupuncture might help. For Acupuncture Evesham, contact https://www.purelandsacu.co.uk/acupuncture-evesham

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  1. Take control. You may feel helpless after an injury, which can be frustrating. While you may not have the ability to heal yourself of a broken leg or a torn ligament, you can choose to rest when necessary and push yourself to your limits when you feel like it. You can take control of your injury by taking responsibility for it.

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