This Simple Mental Skill Can Go A long Way

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, athletes all over the US will be unknowingly practicing a powerful mental skill. This one mental skill often goes overlooked. In fact, most athletes don’t even consider it to be a mental skill, however, recent studies show that it has profound positive benefits that target multiple areas of the mental game. This one mental skill is called Gratitude.

During thanksgiving, millions of families travel throughout the US to spend time with loved ones and to give thanks for their family, health, and more. Through thick and thin, Thanksgiving is a time where families put aside their differences to be present and enjoy the moment. But is there more to this skill then tradition? Research says yes.

Numerous studies have found that gratitude strengthens a multitude of areas in one’s life and well-being. Areas such as improved mental and physical health including better regulation of one’s emotions.

Studies reveal that the consistent practice of gratitude leads to increased emotional strength in dealing with setbacks that often come from training and competing in sports.

Although there are so many benefits to the practice of gratitude I want to highlight one effective way to implementing it in sports. This approach is one that is highly paradoxical but works incredibly well.

But before we do, I first want to explore the inverse of gratitude and that is complaining. Numerous athletes struggle with this maladaptive emotional reaction. Complaining is linked to multiple performance struggles and even health deficiencies. One of the notables for athletes is a lack of emotional resilience. This makes athletes incredibly fragile to adversity and setbacks. Athletes who complain tend to underperform, give up earlier, and never achieve their full potential.

However, gratitude does the opposite. Through gratitude athletes are capable of enduring far more struggles in pursuit of excellence. One of the greatest challenges for so many athletes is dealing with setbacks. From struggling in practice and competition to being treated unfairly by a coach or team. These situations and much more often leave athletes angry and frustrated.

But one approach that I challenge every athlete to try is to practice gratitude in undesirable moments. In your lowest times, give thanks. Practicing gratitude in those times often delivers a future harvest of success that so many of my athletes have experienced firsthand.

The deeper question becomes, give thanks to who? That is up to you but at the very least you may give thanks to those who you may have felt wronged by such as a coach. Thank him or her for not giving you the chance to start just yet. Shock them with genuine kindness.

For this to work, gratitude must come from the heart. First discern why you are truly thankful before thanking a coach. You may also use this approach towards a teammate or parent. This doesn’t mean that you take any abuse as I strongly do not advocate that. If that is the case then leave. But if you are not favored by a coach or organization, it may not be the end. Try giving thanks.

Remember, regardless of the outcome, the practice of gratitude is primarily to help you heal from the inside. Subsequently, this practice may in fact start healing others around you. Implement with family as well or teachers and others. You will be surprised at how everything starts to change around you but most importantly, how everything starts healing inside of you.