Performance Excellence Center

Mental Toughness

Performance Excellence Center at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital - Mental Toughness - Girl Throwing Softball Athletes, have you ever had the experience of losing confidence when you needed it most? Or gotten distracted with the game on the line? Would you like to consistently perform your best, or peak for the big game?

Mental toughness is the natural or developed psychological edge that enables to you be better and more consistent than your opponent in remaining:

Determined
Focused
Confident
In control under pressure

Mental toughness allows you to perform to your potential. You can develop the skills necessary to play your best with the game on the line, and do so time and again.

Below are 10 strategies to help you play your best:

1. Play to your own standard of excellence, not to the level of your opponent.

Performance Excellence Center at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Podcast Slate - "Mental Toughness: Play to Your Standard of Excellence," with Eddie O'Connor, PhD, sport psychologist

2. Be committed, even when you aren't motivated.

3. Maintain a positive focus and effort at all times, especially after mistakes. Being positive brings up your teammates. Being negative brings up your opponents!

Performance Excellence Center at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital Podcast Slate - "Mental Toughness: Make a Mistake!" with Eddie O'Connor, PhD, sport psychologist

4. Have a specific goal for every practice. Be sure to review why you are a better athlete after each practice.

5. Practice how you want to play. Give full physical and mental effort at all times.

6. When under pressure, define what your specific job is and focus on that.

7. Know that competitive anxiety is normal and prepares you for battle.

8. Prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Nothing is better to build confidence and avoid mistakes.

9. Take a deep breath to refocus on the here and now. The present moment is the ideal focus for best performance.

10. Your mind is designed to warn you of danger, causing negative thinking. It's often best to just ignore your mind when it worries.

Download mental toughness tips in a pdf file.