HAVE YOU TRAINED YOUR BRAIN?

HAVE YOU TRAINED YOUR BRAIN LATELY?

Changing thoughts and habits: an ongoing project…
Human beings think. We think all the time. It is a central factor in our lives; our experience of reality is shaped by the moment-by-moment flow of our thoughts. As long as we can still learn, we can change our thought habits.

Humans can acquire new thought habits, and even change or eliminate non-productive habits. One definition of Thinking is: the reception and processing of external and internal data in order to assess and interpret the world within and around us.

Of course, thinking also encompasses the much broader phenomena of human consciousness or awareness. lt is said that the human body, not only the brain, but also the nervous system and all the sensory apparatus connected to it processes more than a trillion bits of data every second.

This data is received through our senses and processed, interpreted, and put to use. New data is received, stored, and held as archival memory for later use. Familiar data is matched to the archival memory information to be understood and utilised.

Many types of practices may help athletes learn new thought habits. Lee’s focus on three: Repetition, Education, and Conversation.

Repetition
Repetition involves actively repeating new thought habits, such as mantras. In the case of athletes, they could repeat the thought habit “I believe I will achieve my goals” (or something more specific) until it anchored as an actual pathway within the brain. A coach might suggest the athlete quietly repeat the new thought habit several times daily: on waking, at midday, at the end of the day, and before sleeping.

Education
One of the answers, I believe, lives in an understanding of a deeper mechanism within us: thinking. Here is how the chain works:

As thinking occurs, feelings arise…
Changes in thinking and feelings help redefine the actions that an individual may be inclined to take…
When changes in thinking and feeling generate a change in action, a changes in results becomes possible…
When a change of thinking is sustained, the probability of a sustained change in actions and results is increased…
Therefore, the more we open our mind to learn, anything is possible.

Conversation
“Coaching” is more about asking questions that help athletes discover what they want in sport and indeed life, and how to go to get it. It’s offering them ways to create something new for themselves. Once the athlete and coach have “mapped the terrain” ie worked out where they are going, and how, the conversation is based upon helping athletes to set better goals, and then reach those goals.

How to Improve

You are not responsible for everything that happens to you (although you may accidently contribute to it.) But you are responsible for how you react to these events, how you experience them and move on. Your reaction has three facets:

• A mental reaction, how you interpret the situation, which is often a replay of old stuff you’ve attached to as part of your memories.
• An emotional reaction that results from your interpretation, so you feel happy, angry, sad, or frustrated.

And a behavioural reaction: based on your feelings you act in a certain way, such as jumping for joy, getting away as soon as possible, or punching the other guy’s nose.

So you create your own reaction with what you told yourself. It may have been instant and below the level of your consciousness but there was your voice inside telling you these things. Actually, though, you did have other choices.

Your inner voice can talk you into a lot of trouble or it can create a positive outlook that changes your life experience. The secret is to stay in the moment, to stay conscious, and spot your “inner voice” when it is replaying old tapes and talking nonsense, when it is being intolerant, exaggerating or over-reacting.

So my advice is: if it’s not positive, STOP, gather yourself in the moment and reconsider.

The following is a collection of possible phrases that build upon the thoughts presented.

Work out your own responses and write them down….seeing is believing.

I am healthy and relaxed
I eat well and exercise regularly
My performances are improving

 

I see the benefits of my training—technical, physical and mental
I look for the positive in all that I do
I can maintain my inner balance in times of pressure

 

I feel grateful for everyone’s support
I feel a sense of work/life balance
I feel comfortable and positive with my life

 

I believe that I must do my best to reach my goals
I believe that I can accept support from my colleagues and coaches
I believe that good health = good life and it needs to be cultivated

Enjoy the Challenge
Tricia Van Nus

Tags: focus, habits, mindset, rehearsal, reinforcement, TRAINING