Every athlete, from Tiger Woods to a high school quarterback, uses a form of self-hypnosis to move their game to the next level. Use the Olympics to learn how to use the amazing power of your subconscious to do the same with your sport. Here are some examples of how the best of the best use the power of the mind:
During the 2004 Olympics, one of the swimmers told of how she would fall asleep each night with the picture of a clock in her mind. It was the timer’s clock she would see at the end of her Olympic swim and it always had her world record breaking time on it.
In his pre-shot routine, Tiger never varies the number of practice swings or intensity of his concentration. The pre-shot routine is always the same so that the stroke will always be the same.
Michael Phelps, American Swimming Gold Medalist, always stretches out his back and arms by swinging both arms three times before his event. Not 2, not 4: always 3. He is anchoring in his winning state of mind and state of body as well as stretching.
In athletics, an anchor is a gesture or series of gestures that put you into the frame of mind (and body) you want to be in to win. It “pairs up” the gesture with the state of being. Repetition is what makes it work. That means practice, practice, practice–with your body as well as your mind.
Begin right now creating a ritual before you exercise. Visualize yourself doing whatever you do faster, longer, higher–whatever adverb works best for your particular activity. Then begin to mentally rehearse it. See or imagine yourself–with your ideal body–doing your activity better, faster, longer, etc. Using both the power of your brain and the activity of your body, soon you will be better and fitter & will help you to create a happier and healthier you.
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